


A Different Sort of Legend

by ravyn_sinclair



Category: The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms, The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
Genre: Alternate Universe, BAMF Ganondorf, BAMF Link, BAMF Zelda, Child Death, Death, Discard Canon, Everyone is tired, Everything is Foreshadowing, F/F, F/M, Fictional Religion & Theology, Ganon is a Dick, Ganon is the only one with common sense, Ganondord is 26, I Build My Own Lore, Like it's discussed in this fic but honestly it barely even happens, Link and Ganon go on an Adventure, Link is 20, Link is Confused, Link's Hammer Space, M/M, Major character death - Freeform, Necromancy, Neutral/Good Ganondorf, Past Lives, Pre-Relationship, Reincarnation, Suicide, Their ages are actually vital to plot, Very Plot Centric, War, Zelda is 24, Zelda is NOT paired with an OC, Zelda is a main character but it will be a while before she stars in something other than flashbacks, Zelda is sad, but it's also not permanent, dark themes, originally posted on ff.net, this is not a happy fic
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-11-04
Updated: 2019-03-18
Packaged: 2019-08-17 13:30:52
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 9
Words: 52,751
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16517408
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ravyn_sinclair/pseuds/ravyn_sinclair
Summary: Dark Beings: a force that suddenly - violently - invaded the country, starting with the assassination of King Daphneas VIII.  They seem to know Hyrule's every move, every strength, and every weakness.  The Goddesses, seeing their people in great peril, did the only thing they could do:  Split the Triforce and send them to their destined Bearers.Princess Zelda VI received Nayru's Wisdom; immediately she did what she could to lead the Kingdom in the war.  Link of Ordona received Farore's Courage and joined the fight some months later.  Lord Ganondorf VI received Din's Power - and purposefully ignored the sign of things to come.When Link is sent to negotiate with him in a desperate bid for aid, the Desert King is forced to face parts of his destiny he had spent most of his life fighting against."You intend to destroy everything that I have worked for in the past six years that I have been on this throne? You intend to lead my people to their deaths? For what reason should I lend Hyrule my people's strength, Link of Ordona, knowing all of this?""Because with your help alone could Hyrule win this war!"





	1. A Missive to the King

**Author's Note:**

> Hello you guys and welcome to A Different Sort of Legend! I started on this project in 2009 and didn't post the first chapter on FF.net until 2011. I've recently picked this back up again because I love this story so very damn much.
> 
> DSL is VERY MUCH AN AU. It uses the base world of Twilight Princess, but other than that? This fic is its own story, it has its own plot, and it will NOT be following any of the plots for any of the games. It does touch on things in OoT, but it's more for lore building than anything else. Put aside any expectations you might have for a Zelda fic, I am going my own damn route for this, and it is one hell of a rollercoaster.
> 
> Please read the tags - this fic covers some very dark themes! It will be a while before some of them become relevant, but they do happen, and they aren't just mentioned off screen. I'll do specific warning tags for specific chapters, but for the most part the only warning you're getting is the tags up above.
> 
> I hope you guys enjoy the fic!

Terror was plaguing the land of Hyrule, and the Goddesses sent the Triforce pieces across the land in hopes that the holders of the three pieces may save the land they had created. Wisdom had risen immediately in the form of the Princess, who had heard the legends of the Triforce since she was old enough to understand the Hylian tongue. Courage, shortly after, had appeared gallantly in the form of a young farm hand, bearing the green garb of the Hero of Legend—he had been blessed with the garb shortly after Farore's piece shone on the back of his left hand.

The Wisdom and Courage wielders waited as patiently as they could for the holder of Power to step forward and help, battling fiercely with the darkness, but failing to drive it away. 

Unfortunately, Power had never shown up. And after many months of vainly beating back the darkness, it finally fell and cloaked the land with it's black spell.

The Princess, in a last attempt, cast an enchantment to find the last holder of the Goddesses' relic. It pointed to the outskirts of the land, Northeast towards the Gerudo Desert—it was the only bit of Hyrule that hadn't been touched by the darkness. The Hero, with this information, rode his horse into the desert with nothing but a few rations, the Master Sword, and a missive from the Royal Family asking for help.

Link of Ordona Province, Bearer of Farore's Courage, and Wielder of the Master Sword, went in search of the King of the Desert, Bearer of Din's Power.

**Chapter One: A Missive to the King**

It became a tradition every five decades for a male to be raised within the Gerudo walls. This male, born from the once-a-year ritual to keep the Gerudo race living, is given no name. He is taught, from birth, to fight and to survive in the unforgiving Gerudo Desert of Hyrule. He is taught potions, taught to read and to write, taught everything and anything the Gerudo women could think up to better him. And at his twentieth birthday, when he has learned all that he could, he is given a trail, a long, impossible test. Very few have ever passed it. If the no-name male can complete the trail, then the no-name male is given the Gerudo crown, and given the name of Ganondorf.

This name was a blessing to the Gerudo race, who were constantly at the hands of death. It was the hopes of the warrior women that with a man raised by women as their king, they would finally be free from the curse that crossed their lands. It was their hopes that they would finally be free from poverty and starvation. It was their hopes that they would finally live again.

And Lord Ganondorf VI had taken that hope and turned it into pride.

Ganondorf took his throne and opened up the long-forgotten trade routes that wove across the desert and to the distant sea, to the fishing villages and to the farms in rare oasis', and gave his starving women food. He took his greatest hunters and gathered the best pelts and skins from the desert beast to trade and gave his poor people money. And with that money he bought supplies and tools, and rebuilt the crumbled ruins into a thriving city.

This city was known as the Gerudo Fortress.

* ~ _ ~ * ~ _ ~ * 

Valia the High paced in irritation as in front of the inner gates of the Fortress, red hair swinging from it's tight tail as she swiftly strode side to side. She glared hotly down the sandy roads, black eyes looking through the hot air and waving mirages from the desert heat. Her thin lips were pressed into a sharp line, and her straight, pointed nose had nostrils flaring.

"Where are those fools?" she muttered, calloused fingers dancing on the hilt of her dagger. "They are late!"

Just the night before, Valia and two other hunters had been chosen by Lord Ganondorf to search the surrounding sands for animals that would give pelts for the upcoming winter. While several trade route had been opened within the last few months, heavy and thick pelts were hard to come by, and so the Gerudo's were forced to search for their own in order to stay warm. 'Let it not be said that a Desert's winter night is never cold.' The three hunters, eager to complete their mission for their Lord, agreed to meet when the sun had reached mid-sky.

That was an hour ago.

Valia huffed to herself, kicking up some sand with her sandals. "Lord Ganondorf himself gave us this mission, and those two have the gall to be late? Oh, by Din, they are going to be in so much trouble when our Lord finds out about this..."

Not a few moments later was she interrupted from her angry, inner ranting by a thump on her shoulder. She started, then turned to send a withering scowl at the two grinning girls behind her. "Gala, Tafet, what took you two so long? We were supposed to leave an hour ago!"

Gala the Sharp and Tafet the Silent both gave loud chuckles at the fellow hunter's anger. Gala shook her head, her rolled up hair bouncing lightly with the action. "Oh, Valia, you worry too much. We were being lectured by Old Jinma again. You know how she is," Gala said, alto voice lilting with humor.

Tafet clicked her tongue, folding her dark arms and tilting her head to look up at the High. "Yes, she was going on and on about some sort of omen she found in her potions pot the other day," she explained with a disbelieving grin. "Something about a message in green coming to bring us to war. 'Beware! The Green One will drag us into terror and death!'" she mocked.

An unamused stare was leveled at the two. "That is still no excuse for being late, you two," Valia growled. "We have a mission from Lord Ganondorf, and to even be late for his mission is something that he does not tolerate—you both know this."

Sharp and Silent both shrugged and began to head for the gates. "Well, as long as nobody tells, our Lord may never find out," Gala said. She waved at the avid hunter. "Well, hurry up, Valia! Or we'll leave you behind!"

Valia rolled her eyes at the teasing and followed after the grinning sisters in front of her.

* ~ _ ~ * ~ _ ~ * 

A young, solitary man swung his leg over and off his horse, clambering off the tired and thirsty animal and led it slowly to the small oasis. He gave a few pats to the red-brown coat, grimacing at the dust that came puffing out of the poor horse's coat. "Here we are, Epona. I told you that we would find some water," the young man soothed, petting down the horse's mane as she bent to drink from the cool water.

The young man gave a sigh and untied his pack from Epona's saddle before plopping with a small poof of sand onto the bank of the oasis. He dropped the hood of his battered cloak, revealing a mess of untidy blond hair and clear blue eyes on a narrow, pale face. His long, pointed ears poked out from his messy hair, and he ran a hand through his locks to try and fix the mess.

He sighed again and dug into the pack, pulling out a small pouch. He promptly turned the pouch over and shook out a few chunks of cheese, then popped the pieces into his waiting mouth. He chewed in silence, gazing over the barren landscape.

"How much longer do you think it's going to be until we reach the Gerudo Fortress, Epona?" he asked. Epona gave a loud snort in response, shuffling her hoofs in the sand before resuming her drinking.

The man gave a breath of disappointment. "Yeah, I thought so too..."

He chewed in silence, resting with his horse. The sun was high in the sky, marking the time about 1:30 in the afternoon, if his guess was right. He sighed and ate another chunk of cheese before putting the rest back in the pouch. 'At the rate things are going, I'll never make it to the Gerudo Fortress,' he thought with disdain, pulling out a dusty and lightly crumpled envelope. He turned it over in his hands, fingers dancing over the name of the person the letter was addressed to with fine, green ink, and the impression of the Hylian Royal Family Seal.

'If I don't get this to the Gerudo's king in time...' His thoughts trailed off, and he shoved the envelope back into his pack, memories crawling into the fore-front of his mind...

_"I've found the last Bearer, Link."_

_Link's blue eyes widened in surprise, turning up from the map he was pouring over in the candle-light of his guest quarters. He stood quickly, nearly knocking over his chair, and leaned forward with excitement. "Really?" he gasped, and at the other's nod, he laughed with joy. "That's great news, Princess! The best  
news in months!"_

_Princess Zelda VI smiled at the boy's—'No, he's a man now'—enthusiasm and took a few more steps into the dimly lit room. "Yes, it is great news. Though, Link—"_

_"How did you find him? Or is it a her?" Link asked, cutting off the Princess with his eagerness. "When did they come forward? Why only just now?"_

_"Link, I—"_

_"Do they know how to fight? Oh, if they do it will be so much easier than having to teach them—Goddesses know that getting me to learn how to properly shoot the bow was a nightmare—"_

_"Link, you—"_

_"Oh, this is amazing! Now we can finally stand a chance against those Dark Beings! Are you going to introduce the two of us? I can't wait to meet—"_

_"Link!"_

_Link paused in his excited ranting, turning back to the Princess in the doorway of his quarters. "What is it, Princess? Is something wrong?"_

_Zelda bit her lip delicately and frowned, small hands weaving fingers together as she tried to form the words to her best, though unofficial, knight. She took a deep breath. "It's the Bearer...Well, they haven't actually come forth."_

_A frown marred Link's face as well. "What do you mean? Then how have you found them?"_

_A sigh escaped from Zelda's lips and she came fully into the room, taking a seat on a cushion chair, hands folded in her lap aristocratically. Link had to marvel at the Princess—despite the terror and war that had crawled across her country, she still held herself with the dignity of a Princess, as if not haunted by the shadows that threatened her. The only clue to her being affected by the many deaths and near-hopeless fighting was the weariness that was held in her eyes. "I was looking through the family library and archives, trying to find something that could possibly help us to fight the evil. There is so much history in my country that I thought that maybe my ancestors would have a solution."_

_"Did you find anything?"_

_Zelda shook her head. "No. But I did find this." Zelda pulled out a piece of warn, yellowed parchment. She held it out for Link to take. "It's an old spell that was created by one of my ancestors with the help of the Five Sages—the ones that helped the original Hero."_

_Link peered at the withered parchment, marveling at the aged ink and many complications of runes and glyphs. "What does it do, Princess?"_

_"It's a tracking spell. It doesn't work on people, but it does work on items,"she held her hand out and Link handed the parchment back. "It couldn't help us to fight the Dark Beings, or to find the Bearer, but it could find the last piece of the Triforce."_

_Link blinked. "That's...rather clever of you."_

_"Well, I did receive Nayru's blessing. Anyway, I used the spell to track down the last piece. And I found it." Zelda paused here, pursing her lips and furrowing her brows. "It's in the Gerudo Desert."_

_"Gerudo...Desert? All the way out there? And who has it?"_

_Zelda sighed and gripped the Triforce symbol around her neck. "The King."_

Link blinked, coming out of his memories to the sounds of Epona's insistent snorting. His eyes suddenly focused, left hand coming to grip the hilt of his blade that rest on his back, and body moving to a moveable position. Blue orbs gazed sharply around the area, searching for monsters or enemies; he silently cursed himself for picking an area with so many rocks and deadened trees—he could see almost nothing.

Epona shuffled her hooves uneasily beside him, black eyes peering out into the sands. Link slowly, carefully rose and rested a calming hand on her neck, causing her to turn her head just a bit to look at him—

Three arrows came flying from seemingly nowhere, and it was only Epona's great hearing and already nervous behavior that saved her from being stung by the sharp heads. Link yanked out his bow and quiver, set an arrow, and let it fly out. There was a quick sound of shifting sand and a sharp "thwack!" before another arrow came flying towards Link.

He flung himself to the side and behind a boulder and set another arrow quickly, eyes darting to try and find his attacker. He eased his erratic breathing and Epona quickly galloped away, staying out of range. Link peered around the edge of the boulder, searching for some sort of movement—

A flash of red.

He let his waiting arrow loose, ears ringing with the sharp twang that the bow sung, hands already moving to reset his bow. He didn't even think about the fact that his last shot missed—the bow gave another sharp twang and he heard a soft curse from his attacker, who was now closer.

He shot out from behind the boulder, drawing his sword with practiced ease and swinging it down towards his attacker—a tall, red-haired, dark-skinned female—who deftly dodged, performing a one-handed spring to the side. Link followed, thrusting his sword forward and watching as she dodged again, this time pulling a long, curved blade from her scabbard and swinging it swiftly his way.

He ducked and rolled, coming out behind her and slashed upwards, the red-haired woman just moving out of the way in time to only get a small cut on her arm. She stifled a cry and retaliated, switching sword hands and twisting to catch Link in the side. He blocked that with his sword, catching the scimitar with the flat of his blade before swinging it around, offsetting her blade and thrusting forward again, the woman back-springing several feet away.

He followed, sword raised and ready to attack, only to jump out of the way when she fired an arrow from her bow—'When did she pull that out?'—and then barely moving out of the way in time when her scimitar sliced through the air and towards his neck.

He reached into his cloak and pulled out a small bomb, quickly lighting the fuse with the twist flint on the end. He rolled out of the way from another attack, tossing the bomb behind him, and jumped behind a large boulder. There was a short moment where the woman made a startled noise—

The explosion shook the air, ringing in his ears and sending sand and rocks flying, but there was no scream or cry of pain. Link sheathed his blade silently and quietly pulled his bow out again, setting it with a arrow. He waited for a few long, quiet seconds, silencing his breathing through his nose—he leapt out and turned to fire—

And his ready bow was met with another ready bow.

He and the woman stared at each other for a few moments, breathing heavily and watching for a twitch or small movement or opening. The sand settled around them, and Link could hear Epona shuffling nervously at a safe distance. For a moment there was silence.

The woman spoke, voice low and angry. "Who are you?"

Link blinked, bewildered and just a bit angry himself. "'Who am I?' Who are you! You attacked me out of nowhere!" he accused.

"No, you stupid man, you attacked me! I was busy hunting when you suddenly attacked me!" the woman yelled, offended.

Link's brow twitched. "You mean...you were hunting my horse? You were _hunting_ my _horse?_ You can't go hunting other people's horses!"

The woman blinked her yellow eyes. "That was your horse?"

"Of course that's my horse! Didn't you see me standing next to her? For that matter, didn't you see the saddle!?"

Yellow eyes blinked again. Her brow furrowed in confusion, and she opened her mouth to reply but was cut off.

"Gala!"

The woman, Gala, turned her eyes towards the voice, as did Link. Two more red-haired, dark-skinned women were running towards them, both holding weapons at ready. Link inwardly groaned.

The taller one quickly made it to Gala's side and pointed her dagger at Link, being joined by the shorter one with her scimitar. "What's going on here? Who are you?" the taller asked, and the young man could feel a vein pop.

"So you're going to assume this is my fault!? She attacked my horse!" he exploded, nearly setting loose his arrow in his frustration.

Gala glared at him. "I didn't know it was your horse! It wasn't my fault!"

The shorter one glanced at Gala, expression credulous. "You attacked his horse?"

"I didn't know it was his horse!"

"I was standing right next to her!"

"You were so short I couldn't see you!"

"Then you could have seen the saddle—it's not exactly made for stealth!"

"I didn't—!"

"ENOUGH!"

The two of them shut up, turning to the taller woman who was sheathing her dagger. She carefully put a hand underneath Gala's bow and lifted it up so that it wasn't aimed in Link's face. "Gala, stand down," she ordered, husky voice and dark eyes ordering.

Gala huffed and relaxed her hold, stepping back and out of the way. Link slowly and carefully lowered his bow not quite relaxing but not about to fire, either.

The shorter woman, scimitar sheathed, thwapped Gala on the back of the head. "You, sister, are an idiot," she accused blandly, folding her arms and standing back.

"Ow, Tafet!" Gala whined, pouting at the shorter.

The taller woman sighed and turned to Link. "I apologize for my sister's actions—though there isn't much I can say in her defense." She glanced at the pouting female. "How is it that you are named 'the Sharp' for your eyesight but you couldn't tell that this horse was branded?"

Gala had nothing to say.

Link huffed and put away his arrow, slipping his bow back into it's place by his scabbard. "I can't say that I'm willing to forgive her, but thank you for stopping her idiocy."

Tafet snorted. "Well, she wasn't the only one making a fool of herself."

"Tafet."

"Sorry, Valia."

Valia turned back to Link. "Is there any way that we could make it up to you? We don't have much on us but I'm sure we could think of something. A red potion, perhaps?" she asked, one hand already reaching into her pouch to pull a bottle out.

Link blinked. "I don't need a potion, but there is something you could do for me." He turned to his pack, which was lying several feet away. Picking it up, he rummaged around and pulled out the crumpled letter before turning back to the women. "I'm actually in the Desert to give a message to someone. Could you point me towards the Gerudo Fortress?"

The three women stared in surprise at the man. Valia chanced a glance at her sisters and stepped forward again. "We are actually Gerudo women. We live there." She furrowed her brow in confusion. "To whom is this letter for, may I ask?"

Link jumped in surprise. "You're Gerudo's?" he asked, then promptly flushed in embarrassment. "Oh, sorry. I've never seen a Gerudo before—I just..." He coughed and cleared his throat. "I guess this makes it easy. I'm delivering a message from the Hylian Royal Family to the Gerudo King."

Here the Gerudo woman glanced at each other again, pursing their lips and silently wondering what to do.

Link's spirits dampened just a bit. "I understand that you're worried—I heard that relations between the Hylians and the Gerudo's haven't been great these past few centuries," he said. "But this letter is important, and it needs to be delivered to your King immediately. I've already wasted enough time as it is wandering around this Desert."

Tafet chewed on her lip for a moment. "Do you know what it says, exactly?"

He nodded, clutching the envelope tightly. "Yes. It's a missive from Hyrule asking for help."

* ~ _ ~ * ~ _ ~ * 

The Fortress stood tall and imposing as the group of four and a horse made their way to its walls, shadows of the late afternoon sun drifting over them the closer they got. They came to a stop at the gates; one of the four staring up in wonder at the tall doors, a gloved hand brushing calmingly on the coat of the horse, who snorted and shuffled at the shadows. "Hush, Epona...," he whispered as one of the woman lifted a hand to signal for a guard to open the heavy gates.

They opened with a groan, spreading dust and sand into the air. The woman stepped through immediately, the short-haired one waving for the man to follow. They walked together underneath the broad walls, passing through the shadows and out into the hot sun of the bustling city behind the fortress walls.

Link breathed in astonishment as he took in the sights, of woman and girls and warriors everywhere, walking and running through the maze of stone and wood buildings and structures. 

Several of the woman turned to look at the arrivals, waving in recognition to the red-haired woman and staring in confusion at the blond man walking beside the horse.

His blue eyes wandered in growing awe over the place as they entered a market area, seeing the Gerudo woman selling their goods and wares to the other woman in the Fortress: there was clothing, jewels, things that Link couldn't immediately identify, livestock, produce, fish, and a whole sleugh of other things that were going for sale as woman yelled and offered their prices to any who passed by, some continuing on, some pausing to look and some turning to haggle.

And then his sights landed on the largest structure in the Fortress, sitting in the middle of the closed city and high above the Fortress walls. It was made of bright stone, almost golden in the afternoon sunlight; the towers standing at its four corners implied power and strength, both protecting and intimidating. It was a castle, tall and proud in a twisting, lively city.

'Fit for a king...' he thought, taking another turn in the twisting streets, leading out of the market, and watched as the castle was swept from his view only to appear again just moments later.

Tafet glanced back with a smile at the blond, slowing her fast gait to fall in stride with him. "So, is this what you were expecting when you set out for our Fortress?" she asked.

A chuckle escaped from Link's lips at her question, dodging calmly to the side as a group of young girls came running by, waving around their wooden practice swords and laughing in delight at their fun. "Honestly, no." he laughed again as the girls went running back up the street, ducking under Epona's legs and dashing out of sight. Epona snorted in annoyance, but otherwise didn't move from her trot. "I haven't heard a lot about your race, but the last I did hear, you didn't have nearly as much prosperity..."

Tafet grinned and clasped her hands behind her head, turning her eyes to the near cloudless sky. "Well, honestly, this prosperity has only been in our grasp for a few years. Before our Lord had taken the throne, we had nothing. We were a dying people." Her yellow eyes dropped to the sand she walked on. "I was only a girl then, but even though I was so young, it wasn't hard to understand that we were near the end.

"We didn't have much hope for our soon to be king, to be honest. The last few males that we raised didn't meet the standards of the Gerudo women over the last few centuries, and with every male that failed to meet the standards, the longer our race went with out a king and went without prosper. It didn't help that our people had such a bad reputation with several of the other kingdoms in the world...

"But then our Lord became King. There was hope again. He helped us...become strong again."

Link took in the words and looked back up at the ever nearing castle, his expression thoughtful.

* ~ _ ~ * ~ _ ~ * 

"Who is that?"

"Look at his ears—they're so long!"

"A Hylian?"

"How strange. I wonder what he's doing here."

"That's a man?"

"He must be so hot—look how pale his skin is..."

"I wonder what he's doing here?"

These words and thoughts followed Link more loudly the closer he and his (mostly) apologetic escorts got to the castle. It was slightly unnerving, the way the women were so curious about him, but he did have to laugh when a young girl had walked next to him to ask if he was a prince coming to talk to their king. 'I guess they don't see many males around here, huh,' he thought.

The group came to the castle steps, the path long and large and leading straight to the massive doors to what Link could only guess to be the throne room. Valia turned to the male for the first time since arriving at the fortress as they began up the stairs. "You will have to wait outside for a moment while we tell our Lord what has happened out in the desert," she said, her lips twitching a bit when Link groaned, obviously unhappy about being asked to wait out in the sun. "If all goes well, you may be able to relax out of the sun's glare."

"Thank you, Valia. I appreciate it."

Gala snorted and kicked a stray stone as she climbed up. "Don't thank us yet—it's only if all goes well." Tafet picked up the stray stone her sister kicked and tossed it at the back of Gala's head. "OW! What the hell, Tafet?" she growled, glaring at the short-haired woman.

"You need to work on your manners."

At last the four of them and Epona made it to the top of the stairs, coming to a stop at the throne room doors. Valia turned to a standing Guard and whispered something to her; the guard nodded and slipped her head through the doors and called something in a thick accent. She waited a moment, and after a deep voice echoed inaudibly in Link's ears the guard turned back to Valia and nodded, parting the doors more to allow her, Gala, and Tafet in.

Tafet gave a friendly smile to Link before the door closed on her, leaving Link in the sun and waiting to finally meet the man he had been searching for.

**End Chapter One...**


	2. Desert King

The throne room doors opened to allow three women in and a short glance of blazing sunlight, and the broad man sitting on the throne allowed himself a moment to ready himself for an audience after an almost stressfully long day. He breathed in deeply, his handsome and elegant robes shifting with the small motion. Ganon allowed his golden eyes to sweep over the bowing women in front of him, chin resting on a dark hand in something akin to boredom and exhaustion. He wore his fire-red hair in a comely mess, from how many times he had run a hand through the short strands from agitation and the need to push back his urge to sleep; it had been a long night, and the day had started dreadfully early for the King of the Gerudo Fortress.

'If only those dreams, memories, whatever they are, would stop coming...'

He pushed his thoughts away and focused on the present.

"Welcome back, young ladies," he greeted, recognizing them as the three he had assigned to hunt for materials for the upcoming winter. At their murmured, dispassionate hello, his eyes narrowed and he leaned forward, taking in their empty hands. "Have you nothing from your hunt today?"

Valia shook her head, still bowed, and her pony tail swung from side to side from the action. "We are sorry, my Lord. The desert beast have been thin in appearance as of late; there might be something driving them off or making them hide from us."

Ganon rested his hand together in his lap, tilting his head to the side in cold consideration. "So you thought it alright to come back with nothing." He watched as they flinched. "Do you not...care for your sisters? Do you wish them to freeze? You could have at least tried to stay out until the sun had set—surely a few more hours would have lent you progress."

The yellow eyes of Gala came snapping up to meet his own, pleading and insulted. "We would have, my Lord! It's just, our hunt was disrupted, and—"

"More like you were disrupted..." Tafet mumbled from behind her sister, rolling her eyes to the side in annoyance.

Gala straightened and swiftly turned to glare at her short sister, hissing in rage. "Shut up, Tafet! At least I tried to catch something today!"

"Oh, yeah, catching a poor travelers branded horse, that's a fine thing to do, isn't it?" she retorted, snickering at the flush of red that traveled from hair line to chin on Gala's face.

"I didn't know it was his horse!"

"Like the man said, the saddle should have said something to you, even if you didn't see him."

"Why you—!"

Valia turned around with frustrated and tired eyes and simply sighed, not bothering to rebuke the two for acting this way in front of the king and simply watched at they began to grapple on the throne room floor; Ganon swept a tired hand over his face at his warriors' actions. 'Seems that they will never learn to act respectfully in front of me,' he thought, shaking his head and leaning back on his chair to watch the girls duke it out.

Legata and Konna, trusted advisors to the king, shared a glance over the man's head, expression's exasperated. "Would you like us to break them up, my Lord?" Konna asked in a whisper, wincing as Tafet kicked Gala in the knee and skipped away, laughing insults at the flustered woman who cursed and chased after with a limp.

Ganon watched for a little longer, tired and amused, before shaking his head and waving a hand at Konna. "No, it's fine. As long as they don't break anything or kill each other, they do prove to be quite entertaining," he chuckled.

Legata sighed and sat back in her chair, shuffling the papers in her hands and crossing her legs, Konna doing much of the same. "Well then, my Lord, Valia is still available to brief us on their hunt," she said, sounding tired.

Ganon turned his eyes back to Valia, who had come to a stand in front of him. "Alright. Valia, if you would be so kind as to tell me why you failed to bring anything in today."

The hunter nodded. "Yes, my Lord.

"Like I had said earlier, the beasts have been thin as of late. Gala, Tafet, and I had been searching for something for a few hours, though our searches had been quite fruitless..."

A few minutes later Ganon couldn't decide whether to laugh or to strangle the eccentric hunter that was still racing around after Tafet. He swept a hand through his hair, breathed in deeply, held it, and let it out in a loud, slow whoosh. "Why is it," he said slowly, pulling a frustrated face, "that she is named 'The Sharp' for her eye sight, but she could not tell that the horse was branded?"

"I had asked much of the same, my Lord."

Ganon sighed again and turned to watch the grappling hunters in his throne room for a moment, fingers tapping his lips in contemplation. "And what of the traveler? Have you given him an apology for her actions?"

A shake of the head had him turning back to face Valia. "All he asked for was an audience with you, Lord Ganon. This was the apology he asked for."

"Was he so offended by Gala's action that he's demanded apologies from our Lord?" asked Legata, a surprised frown on her face.

"No, it's not that. It seems that he's bearing a message from Hyrule, asking for help of some kind. He would not divulge me any more information than that."

Konna sniffed and straightened her shoulders, glaring at Valia's statement. "Hyrule? Asking help from _us?_ You cannot be serious," she scoffed.

That certainly held some odd thoughts, Ganon silently agreed, eyes shifting inward as he thought over the situation. It had been several hundred years since Hyrule had last extended it's hand towards the Gerudo, when Ganondorf the First had taken the throne. Something—nobody knew exactly what; the only records of what had happened were a few quiet and scrambled legends—had transpired between the two kingdoms, and ever since, the Gerudo had taken a bad name from Hyrule, and shortly after from many of the neighboring kingdoms as well. From then on, each succeeding Ganondorf had done nothing to bring the Gerudo race to proper respect, or any respect.

Red eyebrows furrowed as Ganon thought. 'That Hyrule would be extending it's hand... Something's happening, apparently bad enough that they would need the help of their enemies. And I'm not too sure that I want any part of it.'

His eyes traveled to the massive, closed doors that led to just outside the throne room, expression thoughtful. 'Well, it would be rude of me to turn him away when he's come all this way just for an audience.

'It doesn't mean I have to agree to anything else.'

He turned back to the ladies in front of him, who seemed to have begun arguing about the pros and cons of letting the traveler speak. He stood, his dark robes flowing out beneath him and stilling words and movement in the room. "My ladies," he said, voice loud and clear, "Remember, we do not kill the messenger." This drove a few soft chuckles from those around him. "Let him in. I will hear what this traveler has to say."

Konna shot a slight affronted look towards her king, though didn't say anything, while Legata nodded and motioned for the guards to open the doors. Valia nodded to Ganon before waving both Gala and Tafet to the side of the room. A guard slipped outside for a moment, not quite shutting the door behind her, and then opened the doors wide to let the traveler, at last, into the room.

Ganon's eyes widened in surprise and disbelief at the small young man before him, the late afternoon light bouncing off his dusty form in a golden halo, his messy blond locks lit up with the sun. As the large doors began to shut and the light dimmed, Ganon could see clear blue eyes that stared up at him with strong determination as the man came closer.

_The sound of a door bursting open pulled him from his playing, and he chuckled before slowing his fingers to a stop over the organ keys. A deep breath was taken before he allowed himself to speak. "So, Hero, it seems that you have joined me at last," he said, voice echoing, bouncing around the wide, empty room. "Come to save your...dear Princess?"_

_He turned around, letting his cool gold eyes met the exhausted but determined blue of—_

The young man shifted his blue eyes downward as he bowed, breaking Ganon from his...memories. He shook his head slightly to clear the images and focus on the present. 'I don't need to be thinking about some distant nightmare not my own now.'

"Lord Ganondorf VI, King of the Gerudo, and Bearer of Din's Power," here, many of the woman in the room widened there eyes—What did the traveler just say?— and stared at either the traveler or their Lord, "I thank you for allowing me to meet with you. My name is Link of Ordona Province, Wielder of the Master Sword, and Bearer of Farore's Courage."

Ganon's eyes went wide, wider than when the man before him—Link—had called him by a not-so-well-known title. A title that should only be known to himself throughout the entire desert. He took in the small form, now able to see that there was strength hidden underneath the dusty cloak he was wearing. 'This is another Bearer? This man before me? He came to seek me, unknown Bearer of Din's Power, out all the way in the Desert?' He let out a small noise, whether a laugh or a choke he wasn't sure. 'Surely this is more than coincidence.'

Link lifted himself from his bow and pulled his pack in front of him, riffling around in it. "I come bearing a missive from Hyrule. I hope that you will consider it and allow the Hylian forces to borrow your strength in our battles," he said, fingers finding what they were searching for and pulling it out. A dull but sharp murmur flung itself around the throne room as the implications of what the blond had said settled in shocked minds. Had a war broken out within the borders of Hyrule?

The man flushed a bit and let his blue eyes meet Ganon's again. "Sorry. It, uh, got a little crumpled on the travel here..."

Nonetheless, Link handed it to Legata who came forward to take the wrinkled letter from him, who in turn handed it to Ganon himself. Ganon took the envelope with a sense of detachment, eyes taking in the dusty paper, the green ink, and the Hylian seal. 'Huh. This is really happening.' He broke the seal, finally coming back to himself and gently pulled the papers out, eyes beginning to read the small script in green on the pages.

* ~ _ ~ * ~ _ ~ *

There was silence for many moments, Link and many of the women shifting nervously and Ganon shuffling the papers as he carefully read. Ganon's expression change subtly, from curious to casual disbelief, and Link had to stop himself from asking about the missive. To be honest, Princess Zelda had not told Link of the complete contents of the letter, opting only to divulge the fact that it was asking for help in their fight against the Dark Beings and nothing more.

_"Be careful on your journey, Link," Zelda pleaded gently, resting a hand on Epona's neck._

_It wasn't even dawn yet at the edge of town. Link only received the mission to find the Gerudo King the night before; how little time that had transpired between mission briefing and leaving only spoke of how important this was for Hyrule. A tired, but confident smile spread across Link's face. "Don't worry, Princess. I'll be back before you know it, with the last Bearer in tow."_

_A smile drifted across Zelda's own lips, and she let her silvery blue eyes fall to the red of Epona's coat. Her small gloved hand brushed softly at the soft hairs, earning a series of contented huffs from the horse. "I'm glad you have such determination, Link," she whispered, ignoring that the man had to lean down on his perch to hear the woman better. "Some Hero's in the past would be quite afraid of the war around us right now, and would be trembling in their armor at the thought of fighting for survival."_

_Link was quiet a moment, gazing up at the dark sky above them that glistened with tiny pebbles of light. "To be honest, Princess, I am afraid."_

_Zelda looked back up at the blond, blinking._

_"I'm absolutely terrified of what's happening. I've had so many nightmares about us losing this war, of everyone that I know dying..." he paused, breathing in sharply before turning clear eyes and a smile back to the Princess. "But, at the same time, that's why I fight. To stop those things from happening. It doesn't matter that I would rather turn tail and hide under a rock somewhere on Death Mountain." Here the Princess let loose a giggle. "It's what I need to do, so I don't have these nightmares any more."_

_Zelda dropped her gaze back to Epona's coat, smiling gently at Link's words. "It's no wonder Farore chose you for the Triforce of Courage, Link."_

_Link grinned, happy that he could stop a few of Zelda's worries._

_Zelda breathed deeply and nodded, stepping back from Epona and Link, expression serious again. "Alright. There should be some soliders waiting to give you passage into the desert in Lake Hylia. From there, it should be a week journey to the Gerudo Fortress. Be careful, and eat your rations lightly. When you get there, hand the letter to the King. It should explain everything by itself. Though, you may have to go through a trial in order to get the Gerudo to fully listen to what we have to say. Relations haven't been well between Hyrule and the Gerudo in centuries. I will handle things here until you return, hopefully with help."_

_"Got it."_

_She nodded, folding her hands in front of her and straightening her back. "Good. Oh, and Link," she paused, letting Link's gaze meet hers before continuing, "whatever you do, do_ not _look at the letter."_

_And with that, she walked away._

It had been the oddest goodbye that Link had ever had from the royal princess; he didn't know what to think about what she had said. But he kept his eyes away from the inside of the letter, not breaking the seal no matter how his curiosity climbed. 'I wonder what could possibly have been written in there. It asks for help, I know that much, but what else?' he thought, waiting almost impatiently for the King to finish reading.

Almost as soon as he had that thought, Ganon lifted his gold eyes from the paper in his hands to Link, a brow quirked. "So, as an orphaned boy from a Province on the outskirts of Hyrule, how did you end up being part of the current war happening in the Kingdom?" the man asked, implications subtle but stabbing about the validity of whether he truly was a Bearer based on his lineage and ancestry forcing a flinch out of Link.

'Just what did you write in the letter, Princess?'

"It was either join the war and protect my home, or die while doing nothing, Lord Ganondorf," Link stiffly stated. It was an honest yet diverting answer. "And the Goddesses had chosen me."

"'Protect your home or die while doing nothing?'" Ganon asked, shuffling the papers again. He raised a hand and rested his chin on it, gifting Link with a steely gaze. "I thought that this war was only taking place in Hyrule. The letter said nothing about it involving other areas of this continent."

The blond shook his head. "I don't know exactly what the letter said, but the war is not only concerning Hyrule. It seems that the country of Mathius, just south of the Ordona Province, has been over taken by our enemy long before coming to Hyrule."

"Isn't the Ordona Province placed between Hyrule and Mathius to prevent intruders from getting into Hyrule?"

"That was long ago, Lord Ganondorf. The small fortress had turned into a small farming village a little over twenty years ago. The soldiers that were stationed had placed down their weapons at the last war's end and instead began raising vegetables and herding goats," Link explained. "And when the enemy had passed through Ordona, they had announced themselves as peaceful and simple tradesmen. Ordona had no reason to suspect them."

Ganon hummed. "So it is the people of Ordona's fault that Hyrule is at war."

Link flinched, turning a glare at the floor. "If you choose to look at it that way. Ordona has already taken action to help Hyrule against the enemy."

The king nodded. But then he paused, furrowing his brow. He shuffled through the papers in his hand again, eyes quickly scanning the words, and then turned back to the warrior in front of him. "This enemy Hyrule is fighting. You've mentioned it, and the missive states that that they are 'Dark Beings'. Have you more information that you could give me?"

A troubled expression crossed Link's face; blue eyes flickered up to gold in hesitation. "To be honest, Lord Ganondorf, aside that they are spreading a killing sickness and that they fight from the shadows with trickery and stealth, we know next to nothing about the Dark Beings. In fact, Dark Beings is the name we gave them, as we have no idea what they are, even with their human forms."

A murmur of confusion and a worried tension crawled over the throne room. No information on the enemy? How has Hyrule even lasted this long in the war with no knowledge of what they are facing? Ganon raised a hand and the hushed whispers quieted instantly.

The king's demeanor had changed at those words, gold eyes flashing. He straightened his back and leaned forward on his throne, lips pulled down into a frown. "You have nothing on the enemy you face," he stated, words clear and cutting. "You are fighting an enemy that is too much for the Hylian forces alone, and because of that you come to my Fortress and ask for help."

Link recoiled. "It's not—"

"You come and ask for help, knowing that you would be leading my people into a war where, with nothing known about the enemy you are facing, we would surely lose." Ganon's voice rose. "You intend to destroy everything that I have worked for in the past six years that I have been on this throne? You intend to lead my people to their deaths? For what reason should I lend Hyrule my people's strength, Link of Ordona, knowing all of this?"

"Because with your help alone could Hyrule win this war!" Link shouted, taking a step forward and sweeping a hand through the air in frustration. A guard stepped forward with a hand on her sword hilt, but Ganondorf held up a hand and stilled the woman, fierce gold eyes never leaving determined blue.

The blond took a deep breath and took a step back, hands coming down into fists at his side. "I don't know the contents of the missive," he said again, calmer than just seconds before, "but I do know that Hyrule only asks for _your_ hand alone for help in this war. If only you could help us, being the Bearer of Din's Power, then Hyrule has hope for victory and peace, and so do your people, who are surely next to be targeted."

There was a moment of stiff silence in the throne room, the Gerudo's watching the two with bated breath and tense nerves. Ganon stared hard at Link, expression betraying none of his thoughts.

"Link of Ordona," he called quietly, "you say that it is _my_ help alone that Hyrule needs, and not the rest of my people?"

"Yes, Lord Ganondorf."

The dark-skinned king leaned back, hands coming to rest in his lap. "Say I lend the losing kingdom my Power," he said, head tilting to the side in open yet closed contemplation. "What then? What could Hyrule offer me to gain my hand? As you can see by my prospering Fortress, I have no need for golds or riches."

"Hyrule looks for peace between itself and the Gerudo's," Link stated. "If you lend your hand, then all relations would be restored to what they once were."

Ganon snorted. "'To what they once were...' It's been centuries since relations have been good between us. One little war isn't going to suddenly fix that."

"A treaty could change that, or at least start the change."

The king shrugged. "Even knowing that Hyrule wants peace between it's kingdom and my people, I'm not sure that I want to sacrifice my life for a war that may not touch the desert."

"Then a trade route, perhaps, to open goods to countries not only to the East, but to the West as well!"

A hand waved in dismissal. "I've gotten everything my people need from the East. There's no need to open routes to the West."

A small noise of frustration and near desperation whined it's way from Link's throat. 'This man is insufferable...!' "Surely there must be something Hyrule could give to you—you need only say the word and I'm sure it could be done!"

Ganon shook his head, watching the blond with amused gold eyes. "It is a week's journey between my Fortress and the kingdom of Hyrule, and there is absolutely no guarantee that Hyrule will just accept any of my demands." He sighed and shrugged again. "It seems as there might not be anything Hyrule can do for me to make me consider helping, so let's end this meeting and—"

"Then, please, name something now and I will do everything in my immediate power to grant it for you! If only for your help!"

Another outbreak of murmurs and whispers broke out over the large room, this time filled with amazement and mockery. Who was this Hylian to think that he could give anything their king asked for? Surely he was joking. Konna stifled a jeering snicker and leaned forward in her seat, yellow eyes dancing in a satisfied sneer. "There couldn't possibly be anything _you_ could do to grant our Lord whatever he asks," she mocked, lips twisting upwards with her words. She waved a hand in dismissal. "Our Lord has already stated that this ludicrous meeting is to end, _Hylian,_ so lead yourself out of this fortress and out of our desert."

The blond looked up at the Gerudo adviser with shocked and outraged eyes. While he clinched his jaw tight with anger, Link pushed back the urge to argue back with her surprisingly scathing words. It was clear that whatever prejudices the woman held against him wasn't to be reasoned. "If there is truly nothing that I could do to gain your consideration, Lord Ganondorf," he spoke with stiff lips, hands curling into fist, "then I will leave."

He gathered his pack back to him and swung it back onto his shoulder, turning to leave the throne room. He ignored Tafet's concerned looks and Gala's smug grin and pressed towards the exit, guard already opening the door to allow him leave. His eyes narrowed against the glare of the late afternoon sun.

"Wait."

The smattering of murmurs once again came to a stop at the deep voice. Link paused in his steps and turned to face the king again, vision spotted from the sun being in his eyes for even just a moment. He watched the king stand from his throne, long robes swishing silently with his movements. He raised his blue eyes to meet with Ganon's gold, and he had to pause at the strange glint in the older man's eye. It was different from the rest of the looks that the blond had seen in the past several minutes, but Link shrugged it off as a trick of the light.

"Yes, Lord Ganondorf?" Link questioned. His voice came out slightly ridged, the words slow and cautioned.

Ganon stared at Link for a moment, then smirked. "'In _your_ immediate power...'" He repeated Link's words back to him, shaking his head and chuckling almost sadistically as if the words were some sort of private joke. "Your words certainly hold such power, Link of Ordona." The man folded his arms and rolled his shoulders back to stand taller, becoming just as proud and imposing as the castle he lived in.

He began to walk forward, a slow and decisive slither, down the small steps that lead up to his throne and toward the tense man close to the exit. "Tell me, Link," the obvious choice to for-go Link's title and use his name so informally didn't go unnoticed by the blond, "Have you heard of how a Gerudo King is crowned?"

"...No."

The glint in Ganon's eyes flickered for just a moment and the smirk grew. "Ever fifty years a Gerudo male is born and taught many skills, things the Gerudo people believe to be important in being a person, a warrior, and a leader. And when the male comes of age, they must go through a series of near impossible tests in order to prove their worth to become the Gerudo King."

Ganon came to stop just before Link. The Hylian craned his neck to meet the Gerudo's eyes, his body taking a politely—but only just so—guarded stance. "And you are telling me this because..." Link trailed off, not quite seeing where the king was going.

"I will go back with you to talk negotiations with the Hylian Royal Family under the condition that you complete one of the trials that I had completed in order to become King. If you prove your worth, we will leave for Hyrule."

The words nearly sent Link reeling in shock. If he did just one trial, the king would go back to Hyrule with him? It was a lot for only a little, but it was a hundred times better than what Link had almost left with.

It only took a moment for him to make a decision.

"I'll do it."

The Gerudo King let his smirk widen. "Then your trial is this: You must face the dangers of the Shadow Temple to the South of this Fortress and retrieve an item called the Eye of Truth." He raised a challenging brow. "Are these conditions acceptable?"

Link quickly reviewed them in his head, finding them simple and to the point. Go in, get item, get out. "Yes."

"Good. You leave immediately." Ganon swept around and headed back to his throne, waving a hand at Valia, startling the woman. "Valia the High will guide you to the Temple," he stated, and Valia, though surprised by the sudden order, nodded and raced to the door.

The Hylian started, eyes widening in alarm. "Wait! Do I not get any time to prepare?"

A laugh came mockingly out of Ganon's mouth. "You should have accepted the red potion when it was offered to you, Link of Ordona. I'll await your return." He paused and glance back with something of a sneer. "If you survive."

Link blinked once in harsh astonishment, then narrowed his eyes in a cool, angry fire, squaring his shoulders in determination. "I'll come back alive. And you can consider the task already done."

He then swept out into the harsh sun, leaving the throne room in a flurry of excitement and chatter.

* ~ _ ~ * ~ _ ~ *

There was a demand to close the throne room to any more audiences for the day before Ganon swept out, his robe billowing behind him in his fast stride. Legata and Konna were quick to follow, both wearing near identical expressions of absolute bewilderment. The difference, however, was that while Legata was confused, Konna was next to furious.

"This is preposterous, my Lord!" Konna exclaimed, doing her best to match her king's pace. "What do you think you're doing, agreeing to go with that man? You should have sent him on his way before he even entered the Fortress, he's no good to your people and he means no good to you!"

Legata rested a hand on the other advisor's shoulder in placation. "Relax, Konna. The chances of that man coming back from the task Ganon had sent him on are slim to none. But that does raise some suspicions, my Lord. I had thought you had said, 'We do not kill the messenger,' yet you send him on an impossible trial?"

"Not impossible, Legata," the king said quietly, taking a turn to begin up a set of stairs. "Remember, I've completed this same trial. I have every belief that that man will come back."

"Then why send him off in the first place? Would things not have been easier if you had just left immediately?"

"Our Lord shouldn't leave at all."

Ganon ignored Konna's comment. "I will be needing the item I sent Link of Ordona to retrieve if I'm to negotiate with the Royal family. It's a relic that was made by an extinct race of men called the Shiekah. They prided themselves in their ability to see the absolute truth, and had made the Eye of Truth so that ordinary people would be able to see the absolute truth as well."

"How is seeing the truth going to help with negotiations, my Lord, if you don't mind my asking?"

Here Ganon smirked. "If the vain and proud royalty of Hyrule was desperate enough to request aid from their well-known enemy, then they just might be desperate enough to give me what I want in exchange for my help. I'll need to be able to pick my way through every wall they throw up in attempt to not give it to me."

Legata walked behind her king silently for a moment, Konna marching beside her with an infuriated scowl. "...And just what is it that you want, when you have everything you might need here in the desert, gained by your own hands?" she asked slowly, yellow eyes peering almost hesitantly at her king's back.

They had finally reached the landing of the upper floors, and Ganon strode to a large door just off to the side that led to his private study. "Do not worry, I will ask for peace and trade between Hyrule and our Fortress. But the thing I want they will most want to protect and keep from me?" He glanced back with a strange glint in his eye as he opened the door.

"Link of Ordona."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ganondorf prefers to go by Ganon in this fic - there is absolutely a reason for that, but it won't be explained until waaaaay down the line. As for why Ganon "wants" Link, a part of that is Link himself and a part of that has a lot to do with why he'd been hiding the fact that he's the Bearer of Din's Power. Yet another thing that isn't explained until way down the line.
> 
> I'll post a drawing of what this young Ganon looks like, but sleep is important to me right now, so akdajhskdfa


	3. Hero's Return

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yo! Thanks for making it this far!
> 
> This chapter gives a little more information and actually has SEVERAL plot lines vaguely hinted at. Several. So many. Dear god why did I have to write a long ass fic with so many interweaving plots. What is actually wrong with me.
> 
> In other news, I have drawn Ganon so that you guys know what he looks like for the fic! If I can get my tablet to work with me I'll color it in so he looks more like Ganondorf, but yes - 26 year old Ganon. There's also Valia, Tafet, and Gala as well for visual references! Seriously, I'll doodle them in color someday... *stares off into the distance* here's the link:  
> http://crsinclair.tumblr.com/post/179940624629/
> 
> (sorry I have no clue how to embed links via html)

Three days.

Three days since the light-skinned Hylain had come to the Fortress, and three days since the light-skinned Hylian had left on a trial for the Desert King. Tales of what had transpired had spread quickly throughout the Fortress City, of how Hyrule had sent the young man to ask their King for help in a far off war. Reactions differed from Gerudo to Gerudo. If one were to bring it up in conversation with another, she mights express her fears that the war might reach the Fortress. Go to the Gerudo exactly next to her and one will here the opposite: No amount of soldiers would be able to survive the taxing heat of the Gerudo Desert, so even if the war were to reach the Desert, it would die out on its own long before it would reach the Fortress.

Some believed that the Hylian would make it back alive and take away their King; some believed that the Hylian was already dead. Some believed that their King was going to march to Hyrule with a band of their best Gerudo warriors and help in the war; some believed that their King was going to join the effort against Hyrule. But no one could say for sure—Ganondorf had his lips sealed, and his advisors were like-wise silent.

The days went on regardless to the gossip. Trades were made, hunts were ordered and the Gerudo continued their lives as they were before the Hylian had shown up. And once the end of the third day had come, it was understandable that the Hylian was, for the most part, forgotten.

Life went on.

But on the dawn of the fourth day, just as the sun had risen and cast its light on the four towers of the castle, the gates opened. There were only a few Gerudo women awake at that point, but once those few had seen the people to wander through their doors alarms had sounded and Gerudo's came from all over the city and into the streets to catch a glimpse of them.

Valia the High held the reigns of a red-brown horse, whose coat was filthy and dusty and had a few specks of what could only be called blood, carefully leading it up the path towards the castle doors. The horse huffed tiredly as it trotted, hoofs rustling the sand covered streets; she was doing her best not to drop the passenger that sat on her saddle.

The one the Gerudo had come to see was none other than the horse's rider, the light-skinned Hylian with the blond hair. He was obviously exhausted, anyone could tell, if the way the man held himself on the saddle was anything to go by: slumped and head drooping, with hands braced on the neck of his horse and elbows locked to keep him upright. There were blotches of a dark brown in the Hylian's hair—the woman who had seen the light of battle winced in sympathy on the realization that the brown was blood. His cloak was in tatters as well, large slashes from...something having taken out chunks here and there, revealing the tunic that was underneath—what color it was before was unknown, however, from the sheer amount of dust and old blood stains that covered the well-worn clothing.

The man was tired, injured and ready to faint, but his blue eyes stayed fierce and determinedly fixed on the castle before him.

No one knew whether to shout congratulations to the Hylian or to spit harsh words of scorn at him; they settled for neither. So just as four days ago when he first entered the Fortress, whispers followed him to the castle. Some were joyful, some were aggravated, some were confused and some were laughing. But none of it mattered to either Valia or the Hylian; all that mattered was getting to the castle and seeing the King.

"My Lord! Valia the High has returned—and with the Hylian!"

Ganon looked up from his desk at the panting Gerudo in his study's doorway. He was silent a moment before something of a grin spread across his lips and he nodded. "Very well. I'll be down in just a moment," he said, and the guard nodded before rushing out of the room, leaving the door to shut with a dull thud. The man turned back to his desk for a moment, checking the maps one last time before he rolled them up and stoppered his ink bottle. He set his quill aside after wiping it of ink and at last stood, pausing only to stare out the window at the crowded streets below before he stepped out.

He made his way down, passing overly curious Gerudo's through the hallways that were making their way to the front of the castle, all of them whispering to each other about Link and what was to happen next. He ignored all of them, whether they continued to gossip as he walked or if they abruptly stopped once they noticed he was there. It didn't matter to him.

Link of Ordona Province was back.

* ~ _ ~ * ~ _ ~ *

Legata and Konna were waiting for him. Legata with a drawn yet resigned face; Konna with an infuriated but covered expression. Each of them had bags under their eyes—the past days since the Hylian's arrival have been spent arguing over the "issue" with Hyrule. While it was obvious that Konna wanted absolutely nothing to do with the Westward country, even Legata had reservations about their King going alone to another kingdom—a warring one, no less.

By Ganon's grinning face, it was obvious to see who had won the argument.

He brushed past them, knowing the two would follow. Konna was the first to speak. "My Lord, it seems as though you were correct," she stated stiffly.

"As I knew I would be."

"We apologize for our discourtesy towards you these past few days, then, my Lord," Legata said. Konna reluctantly agreed. "Now that the man is back, it would be wise for you to assign us duties in your absence—"

"I've already started working on that, Legata, there's no need to worry," said the King. "My duties have been divided up between the two of you; I simply need your clarification that you know what your duties will be. We will discuss this later today—for now, I have someone to meet."

As Ganon said this, the three of them finally emerged into the throne room. Many of the castle guards were waiting; it seemed that at least the guards could hold their curiosity towards the Hylian until their King had arrived. Ganon nodded to the two by the door, who both grasped the handles and pulled, and he strode swiftly into the morning light.

And the sight that greeted him was two blazing blue eyes from underneath a mess of blond hair. He noticed the obvious exhaustion, the dried blood and his posture upon his horse, an anxious Valia walking immediately by. The curious crowd had formed greatly in the time that it took for the Hylian to make it to the castle; word must have spread quickly.

A smirk drew up his lips and he crossed his arms. The single action quieted the whispering crowd and slowed the horse to a stop. He waited, taking in the moment before he spoke. "Well?"

There was another moment before the blond was able to move, reaching into the folds of his cloak to produce a small sack. He breathed deeply for a bit, and then tossed it across the distance between them.

Ganon stretched out an arm to catch the sack, bringing it back in to look. He turned the sack over and dumped its contents out into a palm, revealing the Eye of Truth. The lens reflected amethyst in the early morning light, little ruby stones marked along the frame as eyelashes. A dark hand curled around the Eye, no bigger than the palm of his hand, and he looked up.

Link coughed a bit before giving a tired, heated glare. "I told you that it was done," he rasped. "So why aren't you ready yet?"

Then blue eyes closed, and the blond toppled sideways off his horse.

* ~ _ ~ * ~ _ ~ *

It was later in the day that Ganon sat once again in his study, rubbing his face after the meeting with his advisors. They were none to happy with his plans to leave the next day, but that unhappiness had turned to fury when they had learned of the duties he had left behind for them.

Legata had blow up in his study after Ganon had laid out plans to build an army. She raged that there was no reason for the army, that they were more than protected from harm with the warriors that were at their disposal. Konna had threw in her own argument that all of the woman of the Fortress, whatever their trade or skill, knew how to handle themselves in battle. And on top of the original duties dumped on them by the King, building an army? Was the man insane?

The King silently took the screaming and yelling and arguing with bored, half-lidded eyes and a raised brow. After, he assured the women that he knew they were more than capable of taking on the tasks he had given them—with the two of them, the duties would be easier to handle than if it were just one person. And the advisors didn't have to be the ones to assemble the army; they could assign select warriors that they knew were capable of leading large numbers of Gerudo's to take care of the army. Ganon had already drawn up a list of women that he thought were ready to handle such a task—he was going to let Legata and Konna be the ones to decide who could lead and who could not.

He gave the two advisors his most dazzling smile. "I believe that you are just the people for leading and keeping control of this massive Fortress in my stead. I would not give these tasks to any other."

The two agreed to the task he had set to them and left without too many other words.  
'Those women, I swear...' he rubbed at his face again, resting his hand on his chin as he laid back in his chair. 'Why did I make them my advisors again?'

Ganon let out a rush of air from his nose, pursing his lips together and letting his eyes wander to the papers on the corner of his desk. A heavy parchment, creased in two places and unable to lay flat, and an envelope with a broken seal sitting underneath. Green ink glittered at him in the soft light that filtered through the curtains that covered his windows.

He reached his free hand to the papers, pulling them closer to run gold eyes over the words he had already memorized. A line formed between his brows, and Ganon chew on his bottom lip in thought. 'You ask much of me, Princess...'

Another exhale from his nose, and he folded the papers back together and slipped them into the envelope they originated from, placing it on the pile of notes and other such things that he would be taking with him to Hyrule. He placed the current troubling thoughts from his mind and stood, making his way towards the door and turning his slight frown into a mischievous grin. It had been several hours since the morning's excitement, what with the Hylian's return to the Fortress and all, filled with planning and arranging and meeting with Legata and Konna. Since seeing Link sideways collapse off his horse and caught into the frantic arms of Valia the High, he hadn't seen hair or hide of the blond.

His steps were swift as he made his way down the stairs and towards the guest quarters (When was the last time that those quarters were last used, anyhow? Surely must have been quite a while—not too many were fond of his people, and as such the Gerudo women had taken down whatever inns that might have once stood within the Fortress walls. There was little point to keep them standing if no one was willing to stay in them.), many guards stopping briefly as he passed to bow or speak greetings. He paid them little, but polite, attention, and kept on his way.

Voices were quietly audible through the door as he approached the door to Link's rooms. One of which was of a slightly deeper pitch and slowly escalating to a higher decibel, if with a bit of a rasp, as the other voices argued. Ganon snickered lightly as he slowed to a stop just in front of the door.

"I'm telling you, I'm fine!"

"Yes, I can surely see that, sir. But if you wish to have proper use of your limbs by tomorrow when you leave, then you will let us finish bandaging you and you will drink the potion."

"No! You obviously took the potion straight from the chuu—it's disgusting!"

"And so therefore has stronger healing qualities than a store-bought chuu brew. Now _drink the potion!_ "

It seemed as though the Hylian was awake.

When he heard a slight lull in conversation—he assumed that Link had finally relinquished his taste buds to the red potion's magical miracles—Ganon pushed the door open just enough to allow him entry to the room. He stifled another snicker when he caught the scowl that adorned the blond's face, now clean, and blue eyes stormy and brow furrowed such a way that one could tell that the Hylian thought his "rough" treatment was something undesirable. The two healers attending him wore similar expressions, yellow eyes narrowed in frustration at their unruly tempered patient.

A disgusted grimace took over Link's face as he threw back a second potion, his nose scrunching up in distaste. The healer on his left nodded to herself, tying off the end of a bandage on his upper arm before taking the empty bottle from the man. "You are lucky, Hylian, that you got out of the temple with only injuries such as these. It could have been much worse." The comment drug a snort from him, and the healer smirked as she drew away to place the bottle on the medical tray that sat on the nightstand. "If it had been, you would still be drinking potions now instead of laughing at me."

Link grimaced again.

The right healer looked over a healing injury on his temple for a moment longer before pulling away as well. "It seems that you are recovering well, Hylian. Though I am curious as to what happened to your hand," she gestured at Link's left hand, bandaged heavily, "it seems that you should be perfectly up to whatever activities your normally partake in by this evening. Remember to drink at least eight glasses of water before sleeping tonight; you are still dehydrated."

"I told you I am fine."

The healers rolled their eyes and began packing away their things. "Yes, of course." They stood and bowed lightly to the man. "We wish you luck in this war of yours."

Ganon stepped further into the room to allow the women passage, nodding at them but eyes never leaving the man on the bed. It seemed that only when the door was closed that Link was finally able to see him standing there, and blue eyes narrowed into something just shy of a glare.

The King could just feel the unspoken words: "Oh. It's you."

"Good afternoon, Link of Ordona," he greeted, grin still in place. He leaned back against the wall by the door, folding his arms across his chest. "I see you are faring well."

"And I have you to thank, Lord Ganondorf." Ah, the sarcasm was just enough under the surface that Ganon could only grin wider. Link's expression shifted into something surlier.

"The healers said you would be well by evening?"

Link nodded, right hand picking at the bandages on the left and sinking into the pillows behind him. "I'm fine now. Besides a few cuts and bruises, there isn't anything wrong with me," he said. "They seem like the sort of healers that believe that when something is wrong with their patient, everything is wrong with their patient."

"They are simply very thorough," Ganon supplied. He rolled his shoulders and stood up straight, walking further towards the bed. "Since you will be well enough, I would like to set out in the morning, at sunrise. Is that all right with you?"

"Of course. I would prefer to set out tonight, but I've been confined to these quarters until tomorrow, courtesy of your healers."

"Understandable," the King answered. "I've arranged a few things that we might need when we set out for Hyrule. Food, potions, camping supplies, those sort of things. All you need do is be at the Fortress gates tomorrow morning; I'll have everything with me. Is there anything you might require?"

The blond gave a cheeky grin. "Now that you mention it, I would appreciate having my clothing washed. I couldn't make out the color of my tunic by day three in your desert, and now it's hardly recognizable as a tunic at all."

Golden eyes rolled. "If it is so far gone, then why ask for it to be washed? I'll arrange for some desert clothing for you. I may be the only male around here but my women are capable to sewing together a man's garb."

Link blinked in surprise, but shook his head. "No, it's fine. I don't need anything else, just my clothing." He glanced down at his hands, flicking his fingers across the creamy blankets that covered his legs. "Thank you, however."

There was a moment of silence while Ganon contemplated on whether or not to go ahead and have some clothing made; Link was, after all, eventually going to be coming back to the Fortress when the mess in Hyrule was taken care of. It would serve him well to have something for the Hylian to wear to comfort him against the desert heat. But he shrugged and let it go. The clothing could be made upon their return. Wouldn't do to let it sit and gather dust, for who knew how long it would take the two to come back.

"By the way, Link of Ordona, there is something I have been meaning to ask you," Ganon spoke up, drawing blue eyes back up to him. "How is it that you and Princess Zelda VI knew who I was?"

"How do you mean?"

Ganon uncrossed his arms and lifted his right hand, making a lax fist and showing the back to Link. There was a brief moment, and then the signa of the Triforce of Power glowed dimly on his hand. "No one knew that Din had chosen me to wield her Power, not even my advisors. It's not like it was that hard to hide, but all the same, no one knew. Absolutely no one.

"So how is it that you and your Princess, both residents of a country a week's travel away and having never been to the desert before due to horrid relations, knew that I had it?"

Link stared at the man for a moment, a small amount of surprise on his face. "The Princess didn't explain in the letter?" He frowned, then shrugged. "We had been searching for you for a long time. Well, not exactly you, but for the Bearer of Din's Power. Almost a year now. With the war in Hyrule, the Goddesses had split the Triforce in order to save their land from the Dark Beings. The Princess received Nayru's Wisdom, and was immediately able to help in the war. That alone made the fights more bearable for Hyrule's army; her incite on strategies and the like is absolutely uncanny—one would think she had fought in battle before!"

Ganon sniffed quietly at that.

"I had received Farore's Courage." Link held up his bandaged hand, chuckling sheepishly. "I would show you the piece now, but the healer's had deemed that something was wrong with my hand... I am ashamed to admit that I didn't realize that I had this piece until the war had managed to break through Ordona's quiet life, nearly two months after the Princess had officially stepped in and became a major helping hand."

"Isn't the Princess supposed to already have been assisting with the military?" Ganon cut in.  
A sad smile drifted across Link's face. "Yes, but the original duties of the Princess is to help with things on the home front, such as keeping the people together and with regulating information about the war to Hyrule's people. Having lead with the military is the King's duty. Unfortunately...the war began with his assassination."

Ganon stiffened in shock. Nearly a year had passed since the war had begun, and not a word of Hyrule's leader's death had reached him? That the King had been murdered was news in itself. Just what was happening in Hyrule?

"But back on topic, no need to bring up painful memories... Once I joined the war as an unofficial soldier, the fighting grew more into our favor. But as time went on and no word of or sight of the third Bearer, we were slowly being pushed back. We could not—cannot—win this war without the third. Only with the three powers of the Triforce combined would Hyrule stand a chance at victory.

"The Princess actually found a way to find you by accident—she said that she was searching the Royal Archives for something that might assist in the war when she came across a spell to track objects. A rather useless spell, I think—but I guess the Five Sages that made the spell were rather forgetful people... I don't understand the specifics myself, but the Princess managed to track the Triforce of Power—she said something along the lines about it being only an object, no matter how great or mystical its power or origin's may be."

Ganon let the information sink in and hummed. "That makes an almost disturbing amount of sense," he said at last, rubbing a hand over his chin in thought. "To think that the Princess would be desperate enough to try such a spell. Things must be harsher in Hyrule than her letter has led me to believe."

Another bout of silence, this time with Link giving Ganon a contemplative look. He spent a moment fidgeting, fingers plucking at bandages again, before Ganon graced him with a raised brow.

"May I ask you a...personal question, Lord Ganondorf?"

"You may," Ganon replied, "but be warned that I may not answer."

Link took a moment, furrowing his brow and thinking on how to ask. "Do you and the Princess...know each other, Lord Ganondorf?"

The King blinked. Where had this question come from?

The Hylian was quick to explain. "It's just, the Princess told me not to open the letter or to read its contents, and I was wondering why until you yourself had read it. I've been thinking that maybe the reason is because there was something personal in the letter that was for your eyes only; the way you talk about her, at times, seems as though you might know her personally. Not quite friends, but a bit more than mere acquaintances. But, at the same time, that doesn't make any sense. Relations between both Hyrule and the Gerudos would lead to you two having never met. So, I was just wondering..."

Link trailed off when he noticed the look that Ganon was giving him. Something just past curious, along the lines of confused, and just short of sympathy. He furrowed his brow again, and Ganon purses his lips.

"You...really don't know, do you?"

It's obvious to Ganon that Link didn't know how to respond to the question; it only served to confuse the blond more. He sighed and shook his head. "Nevermind. No, the Princess," here he sneered, "and I have never met. I quite honestly hoped to never meet her, but then," he paused to give Link a peculiar look, a glint in his eyes that spoke many things but none of them clear, "you showed up in my Fortress."

There was a long moment of tense quiet. Link swallowed, the sound breaking into the quiet softly, and Ganon breathed deeply. "I will see you tomorrow morning. Sleep well," he bid, and turns towards the door, steps quick and sharp. He paused, though, hand on the handle, and shifted his head just enough to peer at the man on the bed with a single eye. "Come tomorrow, I give you permission to call me 'Ganon' freely. I dislike hearing my full name."

And then Link was alone, in a warm room covered in bandages and thoroughly confused.

* ~ _ ~ * ~ _ ~ *

The stables were dark when Link entered them, and quiet as he made his way slowly through towards a stall at the end. He smiled at the horse laying in there, unlatching the small gate and stepping inside, boots crunching softly on the dirt and hay that covered the floor. "Going home, Epona," he greeted, words a whisper. He reached a hand, now firmly snug in it's gauntlet and out of its bandages, towards the red coat, earning a quiet snort of happiness from the horse.

Epona shifted and stood slowly, shuffling her hoofs and butting her nose into Link's hair, earning a stifled laugh. "Yes, I'm sorry I worried you," he offered, stepping back and rubbing a hand over her head and down her neck. "I'm fine now, see?"

There was another soft snort, and then Epona trotted past Link and out of the stall. Link smiled and grabbed her reigns as he followed. He pet her coat again as they walked together out of the stables and into the dark morning. "I'm glad to see you doing alright as well, Epona," he chatted. "You were so tired when I finally got out of the temple—I'm sorry I wasn't able to grab you any feed before Lord Ganondorf sent me off on that ridiculous trial. The wait must have been torturous. At least I had shade, you were stuck in the sun the whole time, weren't you?"

A righteous neigh was his answer, and he laughed again. "Again, I apologize."

"Talk to yourself much, Link?"

The man glanced to the side, eyes widening briefly in surprise. "Tafet? What are you doing here?"

Tafet grinned from where she sat on a low wall, brushing a hand through short red hair. "Seeing you off, Hylian. Probably won't get to see you again. So I figured, why not? S'not often that a male travels through here, might as well burn the horrifying image into my head while I can."

She hopped down from the wall, landing silently, and made her way over to Link, who was rolling his eyes. "Well, you certainly don't have to worry about me forgetting you and your wondrous way with words," he deadpanned. They continued walking together, sky slowly becoming lighter as sunrise drew nearer.

"So," Tafet began, arms behind her head as she walked (Link was beginning to think this was practically signiture for the woman). "What is Hyrule like? I've only traveled to the East, and much of it is the same as this Desert, aside from the chance to see the ocean. Not a whole lot of green."

Link shrugged. "Well, Hyrule's green?" He laughed when Tafet smacked his arm. "It's hard to explain with just words—Hyrule is very large, and there is a lot of variety of land—hills, plains, forests, mountains, rivers, a lake, hell, a volcano. I couldn't possibly explain it all in one sitting." He shrugged. "Is that enough for you?"

"Not really, but I guess it'll have to do." Tafet blew air from her nose in a huff. "I wish I could join you. I would love to see what your country is like."

"Then why don't you?"

"Our Lord has forbidden it," she said. "No one is to accompany him to Hyrule. I haven't a clue why—your nobles and royalties are practically begging for help, it's not like one of them is going to poison him or kill him in his sleep. But all the same it would be much safer." She frowned. "He's the only King we have."

Link frowned as well. "That's strange..." He fell silent for a moment. "Well, with your King's assistance in the war, surely the Princess of Hyrule would be glad to allow a treaty between our two countries. Maybe you could visit then?"

"You think?" the woman glanced with yellow eyes at the Hylian. She grinned. "Maybe you could give me a tour, too. Considering, of course, that you don't keel over from illness in the middle of battle."

"Oh? Illness, you say? And why not from the enemy's sword?"

Tafet turned her head to look at Link fully, grin shifting from teasing to sincere. "Something tells me that the enemy's sword won't be enough to bring you down, Link. Battle won't be your end."

The Hylian furrowed his brow at her words, but was cut from asking when the gates came into view, and with it the sight of Ganon. The dark man was standing next to a dark horse, a dark burgundy, garbed in clothing more suited for traveling the desert than the robes he had been wearing in the throne room. A loose fitting red tunic that parted down the front, tied together by his sword belt settled over his broad shoulders, and a sleek black undergarment that hugged his frame from his neck to his forearms to further down beneath the tunic. A simple pair of black trousers adorned his legs, and a pair of well made traveling boots his feet. A cream colored scarf settled around his neck, patterned throughout with lines of a dark orange and deep blue and senseless other shapes.

Link rose a brow. "No armor?"

Ganon raised his eyes to the approaching Hylian. "No. For one, armor would serve nothing but a hindrance with our journey to Hyrule, and would only slow me down in battle should we be confronted." He smirked, a stiff expression compared to previous. "For another, the armor I do have is not my size nor my own. It was made years ago for a man older than me."

Link had to wonder at what he meant by that, but let the thought slide away. He stepped up, tightening his hands on Epona reigns. "I'm going to assume that you're ready to leave?" he asked, straightening his cloak and strapping his pack to Epona's saddle.

Ganon nodded. "And I'll assume that you have everything you might need?" he asked in turn, already turning to mount his horse. He didn't wait for an answer, shifting his gaze to Tafet beside the Hylian. "I thank you for guiding Link of Ordona to the gates, Tafet the Silent."

Tafet bowed in respect. "Of course, my Lord."

Link mounted Epona, nodded to Tafet as well. "It was a pleasure to meet you, even if the circumstances of our meeting were..."

"Just a tiny bit silly?"

The blond chuckled. "Something like that."

The King raised a hand, and the gates opened before them. A slight desert breeze drifted past them from the open gates, warm yet chill. The two, Gerudo and Hylian, made their way through the exit and into the light that had just brushed past the horizon to the East. Link looked toward the King. "Are you ready Lor...Ganon?"

Ganon turned to gaze at Link, meeting his eyes and grinning something feral. "As ready as I'll ever be, Link."

Link clicked his tongue in annoyance and faced the sunrise. Suddenly, he blinked, and dug into his pack. "Oh, can't believe I forgot," he muttered, and after a moment of searching, pulled something green from the depths of his pack.

Tafet, who was just about to turn away and return to her home, caught the green out of the corner of her eye and stopped, brow furrowed. "What is that?" she asked.

Link looked at the woman and smiled sheepishly. "My hat. It got ripped on the travel here—I've only had the chance to repair it last night," he explained, pulling the long, green hat onto his head and adjusting it over his unruly blond hair, long ears standing stark against the dark color. He lowered his hands again to Epona's reigns after a moment, grinning one last time at the Gerudo woman. "I hope to see you again, Tafet. Take care."

Ganon scoffed. "Are you quite done, Link?"

"Yeah, yeah..."

Tafet watched as the two began to ride away, something along the lines of unease beginning to form in her stomach. She couldn't understand it at first, still watching as the gates began to slowly close, but just before the doors closed with a resounding "thoom" did she see and understand. The wind picked up, just for a moment, but it was enough to see the color of the tunic underneath Link's cloak.

Green.

* ~ _ ~ * ~ _ ~ *

_Seven Days Later..._

Ashelia walked down the darkening streets of Castle Town, one hand clasped around a bag full of groceries and her other hand clasped upon the tiny hand of her son, Michael. It had been a long, hard day at work, what with her employer having fallen ill to the disease of the Dark Beings, and after the load of work that had fallen on her with his absence Ashelia was more than ready to call it a day.

She wished she didn't have to work; originally, her husband, Amal, had been the one with a steady job and had been the one to bring in the income. But his days as an average working man were done for a while, with the war. All available men had been drafted for the army; he was one the many that joined. Also one of the few that have so far survived. A lucky man, Ashelia breathed with relief to know. She prayed his luck continued—he was currently stationed in Lake Hylia; battle had started there a few days ago.

With the men gone, however, many women had to go to work themselves to support their family. It was hard, especially with travel to Kakariko Village being next to impossible with the war and the disease, and the path to Lake Hylia being barred to travelers for the same reasons. Which meant that any businesses relying on outside support were failing harshly. But Ashelia could make due; as a tailor all she needed was fabric and her needles, things that all could be found in town.

Lately there were a lot of orders for clothing to be tailored, repairs to soldier's uniforms and fixings to clothings that were to be worn to any upcoming funeral. And not just from the war; the disease was taking out nearly as many as the battles out on the fields. Though it put food on her table for her son, it was depressing work.

'Maybe I should visit Telma's Bar tonight,' Ashelia thought, slowing her walk a bit and shifting the bag in her hands. Telma, bless that woman's soul, had been every woman's savior in the town. The bar owner had been part of the previous war effort, running intelligence and being part of the group that worked from the inside against the forces of Mathius. Dangerous work, but it was her group's work that helped tremendously to win that war.

Telma was a bit too old to be doing any of the dirty work this time around; word was her arthritis had worsened in the past three years. But just because she couldn't be out there fighting the battles with the big men didn't mean she didn't do her part. A few of her close soldier friends kept in constant contact with her—how was certainly a question, seeing as those exact men hadn't been seen in the town since the war began—and with those contacts was Telma able to keep the wives and widows of soldiers informed about what was happening. The real information, not the stories and false reassurances that some of the guards gave to everyone. While sometimes heartbreaking and horrible to bear, it was always better to hear the truth than to cling to a lie.

Not only did the bar owner give the town real information, she did her part in keeping the women sane by helping them with something so simple: food. No one knew where she got all of the food, but she kept a constant supply of everything she might need to keep her guests comfortable. She also sold the wonderful meals at a very low price, for so few rupees that sometime Ashelia was sure that she was stealing from the bar owner.

Telma comforted, consoled, and gave real hope to the women of Castle Town. Ashelia wasn't sure what she would do without that old woman sometimes, life was so difficult lately.

Michael squeezed her hand and Ashelia peered down at her quiet son. She offered him a soft smile, and she quickened her pace again. 'No, I won't be going to Telma's tonight. It just doesn't feel right.'

The two made it home in sound time, before the sun had finished setting, even. "Go wash up for dinner, Mikey," she said, and watched as the little boy simply nodded and shuffled off towards the washroom.

She sighed and began to prepare for dinner. Oh, her little Michael, sweet little Mikey. He was such a sweet boy, with dark, thick curls and bright hazel eyes. She wasn't sure where it had come from, as both she and Amal both had round ears, but little Michael had slightly pointed ears. Maybe it was a gift from the Goddesses, who knows, but it made her little boy all the more special.

The only thing that worried her was how quiet he was. He was a normal baby, crying and wailing and shrieking with laughter when he was still in his nappies. But right before he hit two he began to quiet. Very rarely did the boy say a word, and quite frankly, it worried her. Not to mention that he had yet to call her mother, mom, something.

Maybe he had a hearing problem? She tried to bring it up with her mother-in-law shortly before the war began (a wonderful woman; had been a tremendous support when Ashelia's own mother had died), but the old woman waved away her worries. Had assured her that Amal, when he was a young boy, had been the same way. "He'll star' callin' ya Ma' soon enough, darlin', don' ya worry," she had said. If only it was so easy to believe her...

It was just as she was about to light the stove that a deep, hollow, echoing sound filled the air. A cold chill ran down Ashelia's spine. 'The alarm bells...'

Hyrule was under attack.

She dropped the pot, ignoring the clang as it hit the floor and it contents that spilled all over the tiled kitchen, and raced to her son's room. Michael gave her a bewildered look as she scooped him up and headed towards her own bedroom and into the closet. She set him down and shoved a few things out of the way, revealing a hatch in the floor. Pulling it open, she gently but quickly pushed her son down the flight of stairs. "Come on, honey, get inside," she urged, and nearly sobbed in relief when Michael hopped down the steps of his own accord.

She climbed down herself, grabbing the dusting pack of matches and lit a candle. She handed the burning light down to Michael's waiting hands. "Hold that for Mommy, just a moment?"

Ashelia reached up and grasped the withering rope and pulled the hatch shut, blinking away the dust that fell. A few steps were taken back, a hand reaching out to brush the top of Michael's head; she turned and took the candle from him, setting it on the small table in the small room.

All was quiet for a few moments. Michael, silent as always. The candle flickering on the table. The muffled echoes of the alarms above them.

And then the sounds came.

She swallowed and crouched to hug her child to her. Distantly she could hear things exploding—a sound that she had only heard a few times but was slowly becoming disturbingly familiarized with as the seconds ticked by. She could hear the sound of great stone meeting something solid; the ground, she realized, the buildings were falling to the ground in the heat of the attack. She could hear screaming, both distant and close, too close, all terrified and filled with panic and where were the town's guards?

Her eyes squeezed shut as she heard a particular scream—that sounded like the lady next door, a nice old widow by the name of Silva; she made sweets frequently and gave some of her cookies to Michael. Was this really happening? Ashelia heard a whimper, very close, and she opened her eyes to find that it was her son, squeezing his own eyes shut and clinging to her. She kissed his head, lips brushing his dark curls. "It's okay, honey, it'll be alright," she comforted, ignoring her own trembling as the noises continued.

Michael sniffed, little fingers digging into the folds of her dress, and buried his small face into her chest. "I'm scared, Mama..."

And Ashelia began to cry, barely holding back her chocked sobs as she clung tighter to her child. Here was her son, her child, her baby, at long last calling her mother...

But she had never heard anything more heartbreaking.

_End Chapter Three..._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It will be a long, long, long was time before Ashelia and Michael make an appearance again. Sorry not sorry.
> 
> In other news, they're finally on their way to Hyrule! Next chapter will actually be IN Hyrule, but not dealing with what's happening in Castle Town just yet. Ganon has to get a feel for what the situation is like before I make things worse for everyone. Sorry not sorry.
> 
> Also, prepare for cliffhangers of varying degrees over the course of this fic. Sorry not sorry. This does cover war in a fantasy setting - cliffhangers are practically a given.
> 
> Also also - YES THERE IS A REASON GANON HATES HIS NAME. IT WILL BE EXPLAINED EVENTUALLY.


	4. Hylian Lake Front

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And with this chapter, we not only finally arrive in Hyrule, but we get to see these Dark Beings in action! Yaaaaaay!
> 
> Sorry this chapter is a little late; work was busy and I...may have lost my tablet for a couple days. Ahaha. Ha...ha.
> 
> Anyways, the upcoming battle scene is the first battle involving more than just two people I had ever written! I hope you guys enjoy!

At long last, after searing hot days and cold, sand-filled nights, they came to a stop at the borders of the desert. The desert had tapered off to patches of grass, which had turned to rolling hills, and in the end came to the steep cliff that dropped straight into Hyrule—or, more specifically, Hylian Lake. The dark, blue waters released a relieved sigh from Link, who, once again, was covered head to toe in dust. At least this time his hat had survived.

Link chanced a glance at the dark man on the horse next to him, seeing gold eyes take in Hyrule. The journey was smooth and simple, partly due to the small number of beast roaming the desert, and partly, to the Hylian's surprise, the both of them pulling their weight. Link was sure that the King was going to be spoiled and want the Hylian to do everything for the Gerudo when setting up and taking down camp, but the man had helped with everything from food to fire to taking turns watching over their small camp. Not to mention that Ganon had directed them towards small oasis' throughout the desert on their way to Hyrule, many of which Link had missed while traveling the opposite way. The small blessing of water was savored greatly.

Of course, even with Ganon's appreciated help during the journey, Link still felt the travel would have been perfect if the King had been silent.

"I had thought we were traveling West, Link, or is the desert heat getting to you?"

"How on earth did you manage to get so filthy? Completely unbecoming of a Bearer."

"Maybe if you had been _paying attention_ that horse of yours wouldn't have seen fit to toss you from your saddle."

"For goodness sake, one would think you thought you would never see water again. Exactly _how_ did you manage to make it to my Fortress?"

A tick began to form on Link's brow as he remembered the many scathing remarks made at the Hylian's expense. He had thought the King would have been better company, especially after their relatively pleasant conversation the afternoon before they had set out, but of course the blond's luck wasn't meant to last. 'An insufferable man, through and through,' he thought wryly. Link had kept his mouth shut, though. It wouldn't do to say something insulting (even if it was deserved) and have Ganon make way back to his Fortress, so he took the words with sealed lips and grinding teeth. The only words he allowed himself to pay attention to were the occasional directives, "good morning" and "good night".

Cooperation and insults aside, the King remained much an enigma. The man, though outspoken with his regard for what he thinks of the Hylian, rarely spoke. He kept much to himself, silent on his horse and when they stopped for the night. The only habit that Link could see was to pull a few pieces of parchment out each night and read them over; Link suspected that they were the letter the Princess had sent, but he couldn't be sure—and it wasn't as if he was going to ask, not with how Ganon spoke to him. And though the blond was curious as to Ganon's ability with a blade (the man had to have skill—if the trial in the Shadow Temple had taken Link three days and left him to pass out once he was finally back at the Fortress, the King obviously had to possess startlingly good ability with a sword), the few beast had led to few battles—most were taken care of by bow and arrow, and the beast were all taken care of swiftly, too swiftly for observation.

'Well, not like it matters,' Link thought with a shrug. 'I'll see him fight soon, knowing my luck. Always a battle just around the corner.' He tugged Epona's reigns and started them off a bit to the side. "There's a path this way, Ganon. We'll get down over there."

The King nodded, letting Link take the lead. They found the path and slowly began making their way down. At some points they had to get off their horses, and at some it was much safer to ride than it was to walk. Just like the journey to Hyrule, they did the trip in mostly silence, just the occasional grunt at a difficult bit or some words of caution.

About half-way, however, Ganon spoke. "I had always pictured Hyrule to be much more...green than this," he said, gesturing with a hand to the land bellow them.

Sure enough, much of the grass below was dead, brown and dark, making the blue lake appear thick and sickly. Link grimaced. "Normally, this time of year, it's still green, though the leaves start to change to orange and yellow on the trees. But the Dark Beings spread this...this sickness." He grunted in disdain as he maneuvered Epona down a particularly difficult part of the path. "It infects not only the people, but the land as well. The scientist are doing everything they can to find a cure, or some sort of temporary remedy. So far, there hasn't been much success."

Ganon frowned, having his dark horse, Maelstrom, follow Epona's steps down the path. "This sickness, it was mentioned briefly in the letter from the Princess, but what exactly—"

His words were cut off by a high pitched whistling. Link's head whipped around to the noise, blue eyes widening, and snapping his heels to get Epona going he yelled, "Move!" right before something hit the cliff side and exploded.

Link's ears rang silent from the noise as he moved Epona with quick and desperate direction, looking back only briefly to see Ganon on Maelstrom following swiftly behind him. Dust and dirt and rocks tumbled down around them, all almost making the rest of the path treacherous and hard to see—a large piece of cliff broke off from the wall, rolling down and nearly crushing the men and their horses, only just reaching the bottom and moving out of the way as it crashed to the ground. Another projectile came flying through the air; the cliff-side was hit again, sending another round of dust and dirt and rocks. This time Ganon began ahead of Link, Maelstrom rushing into a gallop to get away from the rocks rolling into boulders. Epona was quick to catch up.

Sound slipped back to Link's ears, and as both him and Ganon crossed a natural bridge, the two of them could hear the far off cries of battle. Link's eyes darted for the source; just on the other side of the Hylian Lake Bridge above them and up the hill was the battle field, a mass of armor and weapons and explosions and fighting, screams of pain and victory and death becoming louder, the Hylian flag waving torn but still tall above the mass.

His eyes narrowed into slits and he snapped his heels into Epona's sides again, urging her faster. He matched Ganon's speed as they came to a clearing (a not clearing; the battle had surely been fought there not too long ago, accounted for by the arrows and scorch marks and dead bodies that lay here and there, and there were so many, many bearing the mark of Hyrule), and chanced a glance at the King. "I know you only came here for Negotiations," Link yelled, drawing the man's attention; he paused only to draw his bow and arrow to fire at a Bokoblin at a point above them—'So that's where the bombs were coming from'—before speaking again, "but if you want to live, you will draw your sword and fight!"

Gold eyes darted to meet blue, then forward again.

They crossed under the Hylian Lake Bridge.

Battle was upon them in seconds.

Link set his bow again and fired into the mass, arrow slicing through the air and weapons and bodies to hit a single target, the now dead Bokoblin falling backwards and into a fellow enemy—a Hylian soldier took the other one down in seconds due to the distraction. Epona continued beating forward, charging straight for the mass—only for Link to yank the reigns to the side and have her swerve to miss meeting a small blade hurling toward her eyes, and then she raced along the side of the battle field, hooves sometimes meeting ground and sometimes a Bokoblin or Bulblin Infantry (never a Dark Being; no, they were too careful, too smart for that).

Link's eyes lost Ganon's form in just moments, but that was fine, he was sure the King could handle himself. He let loose another arrow, ears only just picking up the twang of the string, before digging into his cloak to draw out a bomb, twisting the flint on the end. He patted Epona once before leaping up and off her, straight into the mass, and threw the bomb further in, giving a loud and clear order over the noise. " _Scatter!_ "

Hylian soldiers dived not out of the way but to the ground, shields moving quickly to cover their heads—an explosion rocked the field, sending dirt and blood flying through the air. And immediately after the armored men jumped to their feet and raised their swords and spears and javelins, leaping back into action against their adversary.

Link rolled to his feet, drawing his sword and shield at the same time, and was at once raising his shield to block a strike to his neck from a small silver blade—a Dark Being. He grit his teeth and thrust his sword forward, noting the fluid way it moved and dodged the attack before leaping forward to attack again, keeping up a constant string of blows to keep the Dark Being away—give it an opening and it will use it.

He parried a slice to his side and twisted to slice in return, cursing as the Dark Being glided away on silent and swift feet. Link rushed forward and deliver a jumped attack, once again not hitting home when the Dark Being simply stopped the blade _between its hands_ —the Dark Being let out a shrill screech, ever changing eyes widening in pain and recognition as its palms began to burn and it jumped back, flipping in the air and landing silently with small, thin blades ready between its fingers and a sneer on its face.

"The Hero returns!" it yelled, it's voice neither that of a man or a woman, and it leapt forward again. Link dived out of the way and rolled back onto his feet, shield already up to block the small blades thrown towards him. He saw the Dark Being still coming at him and he gripped his sword tightly, rolling his shoulder back and widening his stance—closer, closer, _closer_ —

With a kick and a shout, he spun, Master Sword singing high and striking at last true, the Dark Being shrieking again as it was brought down, blood flying out black and the shadows clinging to its body tightening, then slipping away, Dark Being dissolving with the shadow.

Link didn't have time to breathe as he finished his spin; there were two Bokoblins aiming to attack and Link parried one strike with his blade and blocked one with his shield, then bashing his protection forward into the Bokoblin's face and kicking out at the other. Both fell to the ground, one getting back up to fight him and one getting trampled by a Bulblin Infantry—Link charged the standing one and smashed it with his shield again, not pausing when it stumbled and twisted his sword up and through the imp's flesh, dark blood flying and body dropping.

An injured Hylian soldier crossed his path suddenly, going backwards with deft attacks being only just dodged by another Dark Being; Link turned his blade on it and swung, watching it duck and retaliating with a kick to his feet. He flipped backwards, over the trampled Bokoblin and landing—he dashed forward again, sword thrusting and his blade was knocked to the side. Something silver rushed his face and Link followed his sword, rolling sideways and back up again, feet working quickly to continue going sideways as two silver blades flew through the air and past him.

The Dark Being rushed him again and Link raised his shield, parrying a strike—a foot slammed into his knee and Link bit out a curse and was then on the ground, pain radiating through his leg and another foot aimed at this his chest. He rolled again, pushing up and back onto his feet and he swung with the butt of his sword to knock the Dark Being in the side. It let out a string of some odd language and flipped away, landing and then racing forward—

Link was waiting with an arrow and he let it fly, watching as it went straight through the Dark Being's nose (or where it should be), going out the other side and thunking a Bulblin in the back.

The Dark Being fell, almost hitting the ground before it dissolved into shadow. Link breathed, sliding his bow away and eyes darting across the field. Only then did Link see the few Zora warriors among the battle, fighting alongside the Hylian army. It seemed that the Hylian soldiers were winning, thank the Goddesses, and there weren't too many Dark Beings, mostly Bokoblins and Bulblins and—something smashed into his back and he fell forward with a shout of pain, hand shooting out to catch his fall and he twisted, good leg snapping out and catching the Bulblin around the knees, causing it to fall and land awkwardly on a body lying on the ground ('Don't let your heart twist when you see the mark on the armor, don't get distracted, this is war, death is a part of war and just be lucky that you're alive'). Link stood and kicked the Bulblin as it tried to stand, off the body and onto clear ground, and when it tried to rise again he shoved his sword forward and then back, not watching as the body stayed on the ground and made no more attempts to get back up.

There was a shout to his right and Link's eyes snapped to the source—Ganon, _Ganon_ in all of his kingly glory was fighting a Dark Being several feet away, matching the thing blow for blow, and Link stopped for just a moment as he watched in fascination; the man could fight, could fight well, on par with one of the enemy and he didn't have a scratch on him that Link could see. Ganon moved with ease as he fought, large form moving gracefully and sword dancing, the broadsword shining silver and red and black as it moved, left then right then up then around, and Link had to admit, though the man filled him with irritation, he know how to handle a sword.

His observations were cut short when he spotted an attack coming at him in his peripheral, and he fell backwards and let the blade that threatened to claim him neck slice over him. 'No time to admire someone's skill; I've got to go back to handling my own sword,' he thought, using the force of his fall to arch into a bridge, then swung his legs up to catch the still swinging blade in his flip. The silver tool went flying out of the Dark Being's hands and to some point away from them as Link finished his flip, landing on his feet ('Ignore the ache in your knee, have to ignore it if you wanted to keep living') and drawing his sword again with a slash at the enemy.

The attack missed, being dodged narrowly when the Dark Being twisted just so and raised an elbow right up into Link's face, catching the man in the nose and hurling his head backwards. He stumbled, eyes watering and just barely bringing his shield up to deflect a tiny blade that was thrown at him—before he tripped over the body of the Bulblin he had just killed, a shout escaping him as he landed.

There was a ringing in his head as he felt more than saw the blade aimed for his throat and he rolled, to the side and rising up on a foot and a knee with sword in hand, blinking away the tears and readying his not-planted foot to push off. The Dark Being came at him, the silver blade glinting with light and shadows, and just before it could meet him Link dived to the side and around, rolling and coming back up with the Master Blade giving a decisive slash to the Dark Being's backside, the cry coming out surprised and filled with pain. It fell to the ground as Link readied his blade once again, shoulder rolled back and stance widening.

At that moment he noticed that Ganon had finished with his battle with his Dark Being, something dark dissolving into thin air the tell-tale sign, and that the Hylians and Zora around him were finishing off their battles as well—not any more Dark Beings in sight, however. It seemed now that most of the left over enemies were nothing but Bokoblins and Bulblins, some staying to fight and some running away. Link kept his eye on the Dark Being in front of him, watching as its shadow covered form twitched and the gash on its back hiss and burn.

An armored man a bit away ran to his side, holding his shield and sword pointed down at the Dark Being on the ground. Brown eyes under the helmet glanced briefly at Link before switching back. "It's good to see you, Link of Ordona," the man said, voice rough and tired but determined. "Glad you could make it."

Link nodded. "Same to you, Lieutenant Gregson," he muttered. "We'll exchange more pleasantries later. For now we must take care of this thing."

Gregson gave a grunt of agreement. The man stepped carefully forward, never letting his shield drop, and he prodded the downed adversary with the tip of his sword. When it hissed but did not move, he stepped forward again, this time using his foot to turn the thing over. The Dark Being hissed as its gash hit dirt, but otherwise did nothing but glare up at the soldiers with ever changing eyes. More men in the Hylian armor came to join Link at his side, along with the few Zora warriors, each pointing the tips of their weapons at the thing. Ganon, Link could see, sheathed his sword and simply crossed his arms, content to wait on the side-lines.

"Tell me, who sent you?" Gregson demanded.

The Dark Being breathed, watching Gregson and not answering.

The Lieutenant growled and dug the tip of his sword into the thing's neck, a black trail of blood slowly leaking out. "Tell me! Who sent you and what is your purpose in our lands?"

A breathy, high-pitched laugh escaped from the Dark Being's lips, or where it might have been ('Can't see their noses, their mouths—can't tell if they're human or something different, something more—cloaked in shadow and dying into shadow, no remains, never any remains'), and its eyes shifted to look at Link. "'Your lands'..." It laughed again, not bothered at all by the fact that Gregson's sword was digging further into its neck. "These are not your lands. Never have been, never will be."

It paused to simply breathe. "Tell me, Hero, what do you truly know of this country's history? Of its deeds and how many it has wronged? Of how those Goddesses you worship weave deceit throughout lives and centuries?"

Link narrowed his eyes and pressed his lips together, not speaking a word. The Dark Being laughed again, it's whole body shaking. "You know not now, but you will. The truth will reveal itself in Time."

And then in a move that they didn't see, one of its arms snapped into the air and a blinding flash of light filled their eyes and a bang filled their ears. Gregson gave a roar of surprise beside Link, and when the spots cleared from his vision he saw that the Dark Being was gone.

Gregson cursed and snapped his sword into its sheath, yanking his helmet off his head and tossing it to the ground. "Damn it," the man growled, running a hand through his dirty curls. "We can never get any other words out of those things. Over a year now and we still have nothing!"

Link slipped the Master Sword back into place. "Nothing from them, true..." he muttered. He turned an eye to Gregson. "Why do you suppose they always say the same words?"

"Hell if I know..." The man sighed, reaching down to pick up his helmet. He dusted it off before tucking it under his arm, and then turned to Link. "So, Link of Ordona, who might your companion be?"

Eyes of nearly everyone present turned to face the waiting Ganon, who still stood off to the side with his arms crossed. The King said nothing, just rose a red brow and stared pointedly at Link. The blond huffed and nearly rolled his eyes. 'Back to being the insufferable man, are we?'

Link slipped through the crowd of men and armor to reach Ganon's side. "Lieutenant Gregson," he began, voice edged just a bit with trepidation, "allow me to introduce to you Lord Ganondorf VI, King of the Gerudo's and Bearer of Din's Power."

The effect was immediate. While Ganon observed with an indifferent and superior eye, tension sprang back into the stance of nearly every soldier present, both Hylian and Zora alike; murmurs spread throughout the small crowd: What? A Gerudo? Why did the Goddesses chose a Gerudo? Gregson gave Link a wary expression. "The Bearer of Din's Power is a Gerudo? Surely you must be jesting, Link of Ordona."

The blond shook his head. "I don't jest, Lieutenant. Do you really think I would have traveled away from this war for more than two weeks time to bring back another enemy?"

There was a small moment where it looked like Gregson wanted to say something in response to that (most likely going to comment on the number of times that Link had simply walked into a room and was suddenly crossed with a blade), but held his tongue. Instead, the man curled his right hand into a fist and held it to his chest in greeting. "It is an honor, Lord Ganondorf," he said.  
Ganon inclined his head in greeting. "Indeed, Lieutenant."

"Actually..." Sorrow tinged Gregson's voice, something along the lines of regret crossing the man's young features. "It's Colonel, now. Field Promotion."

And for the first time, Link realized that there was someone missing from the scene. Something twisted in his gut and he looked over the field, seeing the men lower their heads and a few of them take off their helmets. "Where's Colonel Mare?" he asked. From the emotion that passed through Gregson's eyes, he already knew the answer.

"Dead. Yesterday. A Dark Being got him—one of those small blades right in the head. He fell into the lake."

Link closed his eyes and mourned for the man. Colonel Tomas Mare—he was a good man, always ready to defend Hyrule, and always had some words of encouragement for his men. "He will always be remembered. May the Goddesses grant him safe passage across the river," he said.

Several of the men nodded their heads to that. Gregson breathed deeply, then squared his shoulders. "Well, that's enough of that." He turned back to Ganon, bowing at the waist. "It's a pleasure to have your help in this war, Lord Ganondorf. We can't give you enough thanks."

Ganon's lips twisted up at a corner at the Colonel's words. "I'm not officially helping yet, Colonel Gregson. There's negotiations to made with your Princess and the nobles first before I will pull my Power to help you win this war," he said, and there was a certain lilt to his voice that implied that he thought what Gregson had said was ironic. "My presence in this battle was only to keep myself alive until that time." He nodded again. "But I'm sure that I'll be fighting beside you on good terms soon."

Gregson nodded with a sniff. "Of course, sir." He gave Ganon one last glance, his expression implying that he didn't yet know what to make of the Gerudo King, then turned to his men. "Alright, men. This battle is over and won. We will thank the Goddesses' for their protection of us left standing, we will feel pain for those that gave their lives so that we may fight another day.

"But for now, we must clean up." He pointed a hand to a man in the crowd. "Captain Henri, take twelve of these men and begin setting up with pits, and help the most injured. We'll take care of the little things later. Captain Hughes, take fifteen and begin gathering the dead—don't forget to fetch their swords and helmets before bringing them up. Sergent Fil, take the rest and begin readying transport back to Castle Town. I want these jobs done before the sun passes over the West Cliffs!"

Chorus' of "Sir, yes sir!" echoed around the field and the men began to split up. The Zora that were present split up as well, a few helping the injured, a few helping to gather the dead, and few helping with transport. Two of the Zora broke off and dived into the Lake, most likely to report to the Prince in the Zora Domain. Link gestured to Ganon and the two of them stepped closer to Gregson, who swept a tired hand over his face.

"I can't speak for our guest here, Colonel, but is there anything I can do to help?" Link asked. Ganon gave him an odd look but it was ignored. "I've got an adequate amount of supplies—quite a few red potions."

Gregson sighed. "Have any green? I've not slept for a couple of days," the man admitted. "Battle started day before yesterday, and I can't tell you how it is that I'm still on my feet. If I'm to make it back to Castle Town conscious, I'm going to need a pick-me-up."

Link nodded and was already uncorking a bottle of green potion. Gregson took it gratefully and gulped it back, grimacing at the taste before handing the bottle back to the green-clad Hylian. "Thanks." He glanced around the battle field. "If you want to help, then I suggest helping Captain Henri. I believe he could use a fresh hand with setting up the pits—never truly did have the stomach for that."

"Of course, sir."

* ~ _ ~ * ~ _ ~ *

The ride back to Castle Town later that night was quiet.

Ganon sat on Maelstrom, riding close to the front of the platoon of soldiers, eyes not on anything and in deep thought. The last few hours had been...for lack of better term, informative. With a grimace and his dark features turning just a bit pale, he thought, 'And disturbing.'

The "pits" that Link had helped to make (Ganon had assisted; if the Hylians' had been surprised by his willingness to work, they didn't show it) were large firepits, dug some feet into the ground and filled with dry logs and kindling. At first the Gerudo king hadn't understood—the platoon was heading out at first convenince, not camping out for the night, so why build the firepits?

His answer came in the form of the gathered dead.

After the dead had been removed of their helmets and weapons, they had been tossed into the pits. The shock that the Hylians' would desecrate the dead like that had only been part of the horror once the smell had assaulted his senses. He had whirled on Link for an explanation—he had believed that the custom in Hyrule was the bring the dead back to their families, let them decide on how best to say goodbye, not make the decision for them by tossing them to burn miles away. The haunted look that crossed the blond's face was explained with the man's answer.

Necromancy. Ganon's mouth twisted along with his gut as he remembered the conversation. The Dark Beings had somehow brought back the believed-long-dead Black Art of Necromancy, re-animating the deceased and using them as tools for their own devise. Once started there was no reasoning with the re-animated; the ones brought back had no mind, no conscious. They were like a puppet on strings. And there were only two ways to stop them once animated: kill the puppet master or destroy the puppet.

The Gerudo King had found out after the battle that while he was able to defeat a Dark Being with only minor injuries, it wasn't the same for the rest of the soldiers. Something about being a Bearer made it to where a Dark Being's normal attacks won't work, having the Being resort to fighting like a normal man. On average several men died before one Dark Being is able to be defeated. So when Necromancy comes into play, killing the puppet master is out of the question, not to mention trying to find the correct puppet master.

But from the haunted look in Link's eyes, Ganon could tell that destroying the puppet was an option that wasn't available to the soldiers as well. Goddesses knew what Ganon would feel if he had to cut down one of his sisters, even if they weren't his sister any more.

So stopping the Black Art before it started was the only option left to them. The only effective method was to cremate the bodies, reduce them to ashes so that not even their bones were left to be used against them.

From there he found that the helmets and swords were taken to bring back to the families, so that the ones left behind would be able to honor them and say goodbye in some way. It wasn't much, and several families had raged that they wanted to see their loved one's body, but it was the only safe way.

Ganon sighed. 'This war is a lot more complicated than I was led to believe.' His gold eyes slid over to the green-clad form in front of him, swaying just a bit as Epona slowly trotted along the road. 'Just as things are more complicated for you than you could believe.'

Link having to volunteer for work in order to be given any had gotten Ganon curious. What position in this war did the Bearer have? He had assumed the blond was a part of the military, since he was certainly an important figure on the battle field. Apparently not.

It was explained by Link that the Bearer, although willing to join the army, had been point-blank refused. The Generals all wanted to draft him—and who wouldn't? The man had great ability with a sword and was just as quick on his feet as he was quick to improvise, Ganon had seen during the battle by the Lake. But Princess Zelda had been to one to say no. No reason was given, none that had settled well with anyone, but not even the Generals could argue with the Princess.

Link had no clue as to why the Princess refused him entry into the army. The blond's guess was that Link could provide more service if he wasn't tied to rank or position and was free to roam as he please, help as he could. (It was with a flush of embarrassment—one that Ganon was amused to see—that Link admitted that many of the woman around Castle Town believed it was because if Link was part of the military, he would have to wear the military armor, and not show off body in his green tunic; Zelda, according to the women, had a crush on the man and was going to marry him once the war was over.)

Ganon's guess was that the Princess was trying to protect the youngest Bearer as much as she could, wanting to keep him as free from the bindings of war as possible. He snorted. 'Not that the Triforce of Courage hadn't bound him enough. If he hadn't been given that piece he would have joined the war eventually.'

And then he sobered. 'If he hadn't been given that piece he would have died a long time ago.'

As the blond had explained earlier, the Dark Beings' couldn't attack the Bearer like they would a normal man. After seeing a few of the men that were tossed into the firepits, Ganon could see why: from the looks of things, the shadows that covered the Dark Beings' could be used to suffocate a man's flesh, drying out the skin and the blood and the bones. Grey-toned hand prints were seen covering a great portion of the dead soldiers, some prints around the neck, some prints on the face, and some prints on the joints (a barbaric move—wither away the capability of the man to move and prolong the suffering).

The King shivered as he though back to the fight, how if he had been a normal man, had not been a Bearer, how easy it would have been for the Dark Being he had faced to have killed him. How quick or long it would have been until he had died, only in Hyrule for a day and already dead before meeting with the Princess and the nobles.

_"Tell me, Hero, what do you truly know of this country's history? Of its deeds and how many it has wronged? Of how those Goddesses you worship weave deceit throughout lives and centuries?"_

A frown crossed Ganon's face, brow furrowing. From the sound of things, the Dark Beings said nothing else but those words at every encounter, and no one had any idea what they meant. Anyone's only explanation was that the Dark Beings' were insane.

_"You know not now, but you will. The truth will reveal itself in Time."_

Thinking back on the thing's words, Ganon found the wording...odd. Something about the way the words were said made it seem as though the Dark Being believed that time was where to find the answer. But what did that mean? How did time hold the answer?

The Triforce began to warm on his hand, and Ganon glanced at it in thought. 'Maybe...its tied to those memories,' his thoughts ventured. 'Maybe that's the real reason the Goddesses saw fit to split the Triforce...'

"What's that?"

The spoken words startled Ganon out of his thoughts, the slow burning on his hand fading away to nothing. He looked behind him at the soldier who spoke, seeing the man pointing at something far ahead of them in the sky. Several of the other men had risen their eyes from the road to search the sky as well, wondering what the man was talking about. Ganon turned his gold orbs upwards in puzzlement.

At first he didn't see anything, just the moon and the stars and some clouds. But the longer he searched the more he realized that there was something...off about the way the clouds looked. They were darker, rounder, sort of, and hanging very low, seeming as if they had come from the ground itself, almost like...

Ahead of him Link let out a startled noise and snapped Epona into action, racing down the road. Gregson was quick to follow his example, and soon the rest of the platoon. Ganon got Maelstrom moving with a snap of the reigns, the stallion snorting as it rushed along the dark path.

And many tense minutes later the group of men raced into the clearing just Northeast of Castle Town, and it was with a cold wash of horror that many of the men realized that the cloud that hung in the sky was actually smoke, coming from the fires that littered the great city—a city that was now reduced to broken buildings and stores and homes and rubble—

_Castle Town burned, with men and women screaming as Bokoblins and Dinolfos raced to kill the most Hylians. Blood bathed the streets along with rubble and ash; the destruction of this single town was more than he could ever have dreamed, and at last it was coming true._

_He kept his head high and his pace swift as he walked through the chaos, two Dinolfos following behind him with his new captive in tow. The young woman (still only a girl, so young) struggled against her bindings, her normally pale skin flush with anger and horror as she spat out words of hate. "Vile demon!" she seethed, her normally sweet voice dripping with venom. "How dare you—how dare you betray us! We trusted you, we trusted you and you—The King placed his life in your hands, and you slay him like he was common swine!"_

_He snorted, and his sick, gleeful gaze fell onto the woman that stumbled behind him. "That King of yours was a fool. Had he simply followed my instructions, he would have lived to see another day and stayed in rule of Hyrule."_

_"Take you to the Triforce? He was right to refuse you, you undeserving filth! You are no more worthy to see the Triforce as you are to walk this earth—I pray with all my soul that the Goddesses grant you no passage across the River! I pray you sail down it and fall to Hell!"_

_"What would your father say, my dear lady, if he were to hear the words you speak now, I wonder? They are most cruel, and certainly you weren't taught such wretched language from his great tutelage," he sneered, and the woman's blue eyes flashed in rage._

_"Every word I speak comes from my father's desires that come to me across the River, and you shall speak no more of him! He was a great man and you—"_

_"I shall speak no more of him, I agree. Dead Kings should be dead both in body and in word."_

And with a blink Ganon was back in the present, watching as Gregson tried to gather his panicked men with Link's aid, and quietly gasping in air to quell his suddenly revolting stomach. He knew what that just was, but now wasn't the time to think on it. 'Focus on the present, fool,' he berated himself.

Gregson blew into a conch horn that was strapped to his side, and the men around him suddenly went quiet, though the horses they sat on shuffled with them nervously. The Colonel pressed his lips into a line and gave the soldiers a hard look. "Men, I realize that the state of our home is a valid reason to panic, however!" he shouted, and several men flinched, "what we need is to stay organized. Captain Hughes, Captain Henri!"

The Captains that were called out urged their respective horses forward, and placed their fist over their chest. "Sir!"

Gregson nodded at them. "I want you to split up the men and check on the status of the townspeople. Captain Hughes, take the West side. Captain Henri, take the East. I will take a few men myself and check on how the castle and its people are fairing."

The two Captains nodded and shouted out one last "Sir!" before turning and splitting the soldiers into groups. Gregson selected a few men to join him and started his horse off into a quick gallop towards Castle Town. Link was quick to follow him, and so was Ganon.

"Colonel Gregson," Link called, catching up with the man quickly. "Let me join you. I can help to find people better in the castle than most of your men."

Gregson gave Link a look before nodding. "Any help you can give is appreciated." The man cast a glance at the Gerudo following close behind.

The Gerudo King caught the look and smirked. "For negotiations to proceed, Colonel Gregson, the Princess and the nobles need be alive, callous as that is to say," he stated, just as they passed over the bridge into town. "I will join you in your search of the castle."

The Colonel frowned heavily and shot Link a look, which Link could only scowl at in return. Ganon only shrugged and rode on. It didn't matter what they thought. He wasn't there to bring war, and he wasn't there to stir up any trouble. His 'memories' of Castle Town may be stained with blood that was spilled by his hand, but he had no desire to follow that path. He was here for negotiations first and foremost, a war he wanted no part in, and a man with blue eyes and golden hair.

Anything beyond that was up to chance.

_End Chapter Four..._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter we find out exactly what had happened in Castle Town, starring a character we all know and love from Twilight Princess - Telma!
> 
> There is the subtlest - and I mean the _subtlest_ hint at Link's backstory here, as well as another subtle hint at Zelda's backstory. Link you won't be able to catch until his backstory actually comes up, but you might see Zelda's and go ???? The fuck is that, Ravyn????
> 
> I AM TRYING TO KEEP THE MYSTERY GOING TO KEEP WHAT FEW READERS I HAVE CAPTIVE OKAY.
> 
> Lol, see y'all next time! :)


	5. Turned to Rubble, Turned to Dust

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Party Season at work, so I've been. Very. VERY busy at work. Sorry about no updates for the chapters I actually have written, but I have been very tired recently.
> 
> Anyway, here's chapter five! The chapter I originally knew I had to write yet actually forgot to write it.

"Take a breath, little girl  
Take a breath, open your eyes  
See the world as it is  
See the land and the sky

Feel the wind, little girl  
Feel the wind and the sun  
Warm light on your skin  
Warm and know it was won

Know the truth, little girl  
Know the truth and the lies  
Hear the people that speak  
Words weaved to disguise

So be wise, little girl  
So be wise and be true  
Goddesses fought for this  
That someday there would be you."

The words echoed around in the dark night as the woman sang softly to the group of children around her, Telma watching from a distance with tired eyes. They were seated in a dust covered corner of her bar, or what was left of it. The bar-owner herself was seated on a pile of rubble that had use to be the southern wall, Louise curled up carefully in her lap. She mindlessly ran a hand over his ashened fur, thinking over the past several hours.

The attack was...well, Telma wasn't sure how long, but it had to have been half a day ago, at the least. As soon as the bells had sounded, the bar keeper had ripped her keys from her apron and gathered the panicking patrons into her wine cellar bellow her establishment, the sturdiest, most protected room of her bar. A few of the soldiers in the bar had rushed out the door to protect Castle Town, but the ones remaining gripped their weapons and shields and helped herd the civilians, staying to protect them from any danger, including themselves.

Most of her patrons were women, a few of them with their children. A few of them still had their husbands or sons still in town; all of them drafted for duty. And as soon as the doors had closed, those woman had gone hysterical—screaming and crying and clawing at the other woman and the soldiers that held them back, trying to reach their loved ones out there that were more than likely fighting to protect the town. And more than likely dead. It took several minutes to quiet the women down, one in particular having been so lost in her hysteria that one soldier simply knocked her out. There was little point in the women working themselves into a fit; it did no good for them personally, and any noise would most certainly drag attention to their hiding place.

Screams had rent the air, along with heart-stopping explosions and earth-shattering crashes. Telma wasn't an overtly religious person, but in times like this... It was after something close—much too close—had exploded and the cellar doors cracked and groaned under the pressure of whatever had fallen on them that she gripped her beads, closed her eyes and prayed. An elderly woman had gathered a crying woman in her arms (they weren't related, didn't even know each other, but nobody had close to an idea of what was going on and everyone was frightened) and started whispering the Goddesses' Word into the slightly pointed ears.

That was then. When the bells had finally stopped, there was only silence.

After waiting in tense silence for Goddesses know how long, finally voices drifted down into the dark cellar. It wasn't long after that the door had been unblocked and the group filtered slowly out, unable to speak as their surroundings were taken in. When the barkeep had first glimpsed her workplace and home, she drifted to a corner out of the way and cried.

Her home was gone. Gone. All of it gone, before she had a chance to even consider that it might disappear, that it might be taken away from her. All those years, she's lived in it, all the harsh times, the wars...one attack later, and it was no longer there. There was next to nothing left of the old place, and what was, charred and blackened. Any trace of the bar had disappeared, the malt cabinet destroyed, and the kitchen was nothing but black dust that still drifted to the ground. And when Telma had thought of her keepsakes and mementos that had rested in her bedside table upstairs, she didn't know how she was going to be able to recover.

It was the form of her sweet, darling cat Louise that had brought her comfort. At first she had been hit by guilt. She hadn't thought of him since before the attack. But when the small animal had limped slowly over to her and rubbed lovingly against her leg, she felt relief; Louise was alive and there, despite the odds against the small feline. His loud purring encouraged her to pick him up, and in doing so discovered something covered in dust and green in the cat's mouth. It had been a small pouch, something Telma recognized within seconds, and her heart simultaneously broke and soared when she tipped its contents into her hand. Inside was a bronze medal, bearing the crest of Hyrule and attached to a strap of decorated leather, in Hylain reds and golds. Hazel eyes had burned, not with loss but with passion, when she had read the inscribed words on the back.

_General Raul of the House of Cruach, awarded this medal for valiant acts in the Vemal War. May the Goddesses Always be with You._

It was her late husband's war medal.

Telma's tears had returned, but this time accompanied by a smile. Something told her that this was her husband's way of reaching out to her from across the River, letting her know that even with him gone, even with everything turned to rubble, turned to dust, he would sill be there for her, and he would stand next to her in this war as he once did over thirty years ago.

It took her several minutes to gather her wits about her again, and when she finally did she was exhausted. But it helped, letting her emotions free, and knowing that her husband was still watching over her let her sorrows drift away. By the time Captain Henri joined her, she was ready to do her duty to Hyrule once again.

"Madam Telma, It is good to see you well," Captain Henri greeted softly, bowing lightly with a fist to his chest. Telma waved a hand at him and gestured at the rubble next to her.

"Have a seat, if you can find one," she said. "And please, call me Telma. I've never liked being called Madam."

"Of course, Ma—Telma." Henri moved to sit on a large piece of rubble that was just a couple feet away. He gave her a look. "What happened?"

Telma released a breath, raising her eyes to what had once been a starry sky and what was now a smoky veil. "I haven't had to say this in years, but..." She closed her eyes. "I don't know.

"The bells sounded, at least, so we had warning, but not much. All I really know is that we were down in my cellar for hours, listening to, to the explosions and the screams...and then everything was quiet." She paused. "The people with me, well, we're fine. But I believe the wait was..."

"The wait was the worst."

A shaky breath. "Yes."

The Captain raised his fist to his chest again. "I am sorry we did not come sooner," he said. "Perhaps, we could have—"

"What is done is done, Captain Henri. There is little else to do but move forward," Telma said gently. Henri nodded, staring out into the night.

"...Something needs to be done," he murmured. "With Castle Town is the state that it is, the citizens sit unprotected from the elements, and worse yet, the disease. We can't afford another attack like this." He flickered his eyes back to the barkeep. "Castle Town is no longer safe."

Telma frowned down at her lap, Louise bumping his head into her middle in comfort. "What of the Northern District? Surely they fared better against the attack then the East and West."

"Reports from the men say that it's just as bad in the Northern district as it is down here," Henri replied, shaking his head. "Colonel Gregson took a small group to help the citizens and soldiers up there and to investigate the Castle."

"...'Colonel'? I had thought that Mister Gregson still held the title of Lieutenant."

Here Henri closed his eyes in grief. "Colonel Mare. He fell."

A sigh escaped Telma's lips. "May the Goddesses grant him safe passage across the River."

"Thank you."

She nodded, tucking the medal in her hand into a pocket, wishing for a moment that she had her pipe; some Ordona Tobacco always helped her think. "Perhaps," she started slowly, gazing at the small group of children beginning to doze off, "we should begin preparations to move the citizens out of Castle Town, if what you say is true."

Captain Henri sent her a hard, searching look. "Perhaps," he eventually agreed. He tapped his chin in thought. "I could bring have Colonel Gregson bring it up with the Generals, see what they think. But it would be...difficult.

"The fields have never been truly safe, and while the night have always been dangerous, it is even more so now. Moblins and Bokoblins are hidden in every nook and crevice of the fields, and they care not for who they attack – man, woman, or child. To attempt a move for the entire population of Castle Town?" Henri shook his head. "Quite possibly next to suicide."

Telma leaned in. "But it can be done?"

"Maybe. I can only suggest it to the Generals, however," Henri said. "And a possible destination, as well. Can't give them an empty idea, after all."

The barkeep wracked her head for idais, exhaustion making her mind slow. "I can send a few letters out to my contacts, see if any of them might know a safer place. Lady Ashei is watching the Northern Lands, and she knows them quiet well. And Mister Shad, he may not be well traveled, but he knows more about the lands of Hyrule than maybe some of the Nobles... Shaman Renado may know something as well, with the Kakariko Archives at his disposal..."

"Wait," Henri suddenly said. "Kakariko Village - I've heard rumors lately that the people there have taken shelter in the underground catacombs."

Telma blinked. "You've heard correctly."

"Then is it true?" Henri asked, a spark of an idea forming in his eyes. "That the catacombs have not yet been touched by the Dark Beings, and are not so vulnerable to the disease?"

"I—" Telma paused. As her mind clicked the pieces together, a smile tugged at her lips. "Yes, it is true. Most of the Village has moved beneath the ground. For some reason, the Dark Beings haven't touched the place. There, the people are safe. And they might have room to spare."

At those words, Henri stood, armor creaking with the quick movement. "I'll find Colonel Gregson – we haven't time to lose." He bowed with a fist pressed to his chest. "Thank you, Madam Telma. You've been a great help."

"Didn't I tell you to stop calling me Madam?" Telma was grinning herself, medal warm in her hand.

Henri laughed. "Of course, Telma."

Louise jumped off her lap, dusty tail swishing, and Telma stood with a rustle of her skirts. "Tell your Colonel that if he or the General need my assistance, I am more than happy to help. My lines to my contacts and information still stand strong."

"Understood. I wish you well, Telma."

"And you, too."

The Captain turned, marching off to find his men and inform them of his next actions, but he only got a few feet away before a conch horn sounded. Henri swiftly turned towards to noise, immediately at attention. Telma snapped her head in the direction of the sound, worry filling her gut. "What was –"

Another horn sounded.

And then another.

And another.

Telma felt fear form within her like a solid block of ice; this was too soon, too soon after the attack. What was happening? What was happening to their home?

The sound of beating hooves filled the air, accented by the call of the horns. Telma's eyes immediately found the source: a young man in green was swiftly riding a very familiar horse through the wreckage, followed by a man Telma had never seen before on a dark horse, both moving at a pace that should have been impossible with the rubble at every turn. "That's Link," she gasped, not knowing the young Bearer was back in Hyrule. "But where is he—"

_"The Princess!"_

The shout was heard clearly through the night air, piercing above the horns and the fading hoof beats. And Telma, ever so smart, so knowledgeable, so wise, knew what the panicked soldier was going to say before he finished, just as she had thirty-two years ago when her husband had died in battle.

_"The Princess has been captured!"_

* ~ _ ~ * ~ _ ~ *

_The Cursed Princess, the One Blessed with Wisdom, has been stolen away._

_Off into a land not her own, delivered to the ones her life is Owed. For the deeds her Blood has rent she'll pay, and there she'll never again see light of day. May Your Kingdom Burn with Fires of Old, and Your Blood be Cursed with Undying Cold. Never forget the Pain You feel, a Wound so deep it will Never Heal._

Those were the words written in black blood on the walls of the Princess' sitting room, the furniture turned over and the floor demolished. There were marks of battle along every surface, some gouged, some scorched and some still glowing, proving that the Princess certainly did not go without a fight. But she was taken all the same.

Link did not remember much after reading the words on the wall, only the urgency to follow the Dark Beings and get the Princess back , Ganon yelling at him to come back, and the bite of cold wind on his face as he rode. Occasionally he would see the wreckage left behind from the remains of Hylians trying to flee Hyrule, making it no further than the abandoned Lon Lon Ranch or the trails between fields. Thoughts of their helplessness fueled Link on. He rode for minutes, hours, days—he wasn't sure. Epona was breaking hard beneath him, but still going strong across the fields, the bridges, the streams. When he reached the edge of the Ordona Wood he noticed that Maelstrom was behind him, hooves beating furiously against the brown grass and his rider clutching the reigns in a tight grip.

A thought passed through his mind, wondering as to why Ganon was following after him, and for how long – wasn't the ride from Castle Town to the Ordona Province two days? But it slipped from his mind, his attention on moving Epona swiftly through the brush and the trees on a shortcut towards Ordona Village, and to the path to Mathius beyond it.

Little things began to jump out at him, details starting to filter back into attention, and none of them good: the black marks that slashed at the earth of the dropping hills and the bark of the trees, shriveled and decaying plants and wildlife twisting throughout the Wood like clawed hands, and the silence that stretched across the normally whispering wind.

'This isn't how I'd left Ordona,' Link thought – last he'd seen of it, not two months previous, the land was browning, not nearly as healthy, not nearly as warm, but still whole and alive. Now? Now it seemed as if it was dying.

He passed the Faron Spring, which was quiet, too quiet for the flow of the water and the splash from the waterfalls, passed through the tunnels and the brown and cracked clearings, passed the gates to his spring. His tree house was exactly as he had left it—burned and broken, falling apart around the tall redwood tree that stood pale and leafless, target range next to it decimated and empty. Link ignored it—a part of his past that was behind him—and instead reared Epona swiftly to the side and down the slip of a path leading to the village.

And immediately pulled Epona to a halt.

"This is...No..."

Horror spread across Link's face, trembling through his limbs and slipping into a white hot rage.  
Ordona Village was nothing but a black smear across the ground. Ashes swirled in the wind where houses used to be, still smoldering piles of rock and wood scattered across the weedy gardens, the tall grass that had grown over them either dry and brittle or black and shriveled due to the heat of a fire.

Link dragged wide blue eyes over the wreckage (the bridge where Malo would push Talo into the stream, Beth giggle from behind him), taking in the damage to the once bustling village (where the benches used to be, Pergie and Sera knitting scarves for their children while Jaggle and Hanch played a game of cards, betting their time tilling the earth), taking in the vicious change to the place he had once called home (Bo and Ilia walking down the path towards Link, both smiling and laden with jugs of milk that Fado had just gotten from his goats). The anger was thick in his throat, bubbling up and over his lips in a long shout of rage (especially when he saw the small hill where Rusl and Uli's house used to sit, where Colin would sit quietly with his mother and draw with the colored wax sticks that his father had traded for in Castle Town, and he would smile brilliantly as soon as he noticed Link plodding up the beaten path toward him).

He didn't so much leap off of Epona as stumble off of her saddle, boots hitting the dust and ragged breathing filling the air when his shout stopped echoing off the dead trees around him. A step, two, and Link was kneeling on the ground, knees hitting hard and hands coming forward to fist cold dirt. "Damnit..." he breathed, quietly, then shouted, fist striking the ground. "Damnit!"

"Seems a waste of energy, Hero, to be hitting the ground like that."

Link tensed, head snapping up, eyes searching this way and that for the source of the high-pitched voice. 'That voice...!'

A breathy, strangled giggle bounced through the air of the once-village. "Why not put that energy to good use, Hero?" The shadows seemed to deepen around him, and Link raised a hand to grip the hilt of the Master Sword.

"Your home, gone." Something flickered to the left.

"Your woods, burned." A laugh from the right.

"Don't you want to focus your rage and swing your Blade at something... _alive?_ "

And when something brushed Link from behind he dove forward, drawing his blade from its sheath and swinging it out and around towards where he had just been kneeling, only to have his blade meet nothing but air. Epona reared up and snorted in fear, shuffling backwards as another laugh rent the air, the sun tasting the edges of the western hills and casting most of the area into deeper, darker shadows.

"Where are you aiming, Hero?" the voice called out, and Link grit his teeth and rolled to the side to avoid a shot of silver that seemingly appeared out of a shadow to his left. "The Legends paint you better than that."

Link grimaced and crouched, sword held to the side and shield up and ready, watching and waiting for a chance to strike. All was quiet for a moment, nothing but his harsh breathing and wind—and then something flickered in the shadows, Link leaping up and swinging down with a shout, the shadow dispersing outward and leaving nothing but disturbed dust beneath the sword's sharp edge.

"No companion to guide your Blade this time, Hero!" And with a laugh something sharp whistled through the air and pierced through the green of Link's tunic, drawing a hiss and a stumble. Link viciously tore the tiny blade from his side, glad from the chain-mail underneath that it couldn't pierce deeper. "Will you ever strike me?" A giggle and another silver dart, just barely dodged. " _Can_ you strike me?"

"Coward!" Link shouted, turning round and round trying to pin-point the location of the Dark Being. "Stop fighting from the shadows!"

"Oh, but Hero..." The voice was close, too close, almost in Link's ear, and almost like a lovers caress he felt the pressure of someone's arms circle him from behind. "Where's the _fun_ in that?"

Link stabbed his arm backwards, at last hitting the Dark Being, and using the momentum turned, bringing his blade around and up in a graceful arch—the sword's tip glanced the Dark Being's form, who leapt away from the man with a hiss and a giggle.

It's ever changing face smiled down at Link from a shadow, suspended by only the darkness around it. "Can't fight me, Hero, can't fight Us," it whispered, it's voice no longer high-pitched and cruel, but now deep and old. "Look at Time, look for the Truth. You'll see that this was never their home.

"Your Princess will suffer for Their Deeds. Darkness will claim Hyrule."

Link snarled, boots digging into the dirt to launch himself at the Dark Being, but the was a flash of light and a _crack!_ and all that was left was Link panting alone, the sun finally slipping beneath the western hills, and the dust and ash swirling almost peacefully into the darkness.

That was how Ganon found him.

"What happened here?" Ganon asked when he rounded Maelstrom into the village, and Link spared the king a glance before finally sheathing his sword and putting his shield over his back.

"Dark Beings. I found the village like this," Link muttered, walking stiffly to Epona. Epona snorted and trotted to meet him halfway, nudging the man with her large nose. He breathed in deeply, closing his eyes and wrapped his arms around her, taking in her comfort, and releasing the breath when her lips nibbled lightly on his hair. After a moment, he stepped away and to her side, mounting her saddle in a smooth movement.

Ganon looked around, gold eyes taking in the destruction around him. His dark brow furrowed. "And the villagers that lived here?"

Something unknotted in Link's chest, and relief trickled through his veins, calming his anger. "Luckily, they've all made the move to Kakariko Village many months ago. It wasn't safe, being in between Mathius and Hyrule with the war going on."

A thoughtful hum was released from Ganon. "And the Dark Beings have taken the Princess to Mathius—or at least I'm assuming, from what I remember from the message in the castle and your wild dash here," he stated, voice dry.

"Since the Dark Beings have taken over Mathius, it's the only reasonable conclusion. The fact that they've destroyed..." Link swallowed, "Ordona Village right after only proves it."

"Well, this certainly is annoying."

Link shot a glare at the king. "Excuse me?" he snarled, hands tight on Epona's reigns. "'Annoying'? I'm sorry if this has inconvienced you in any way, but—"

"Yes, Link, this has 'inconvienced' me," Ganon said, words loud and cutting. He sat tall upon his horse, face stony and hard. "As you may recall, I came to Hyrule to negotiate the terms of my helping in this war. What is there for me to negotiate if the person I must speak to has been kidnapped?" He snorted. "I agreed I would come, talk to your nobles and your Princess, and if they were willing to grant me my terms, then I would help. Instead, I find most of your nobles too cowed to speak with me, a city in ruins, and the one who could truly speak to me on equal terms gone from the country she's supposed to be protecting.

"I _apologize_ if I understated my feelings on the matter."

Link grit his teeth, barely holding back the urge to take his sword and cut down the arrogant man. 'We need him,' he forced himself to remember. 'Without him, Hyrule will fall.'

And, truthfully, Ganon did have a point. So far, he had no reason to stay. With the Princess gone, Ganon had right to turn around and leave. He did not come to help, he came to talk. If his purpose in the country was not able to proceed, then why should he stay?

So Link swallowed his pride and squared his shoulders. "I...apologize, Lord Ganondorf. I spoke out of line," he said. "If you would, please stay. I raced from Castle Town to get the Princess back, and I will. Your negotiations will happen." He bowed his head to the man. "If you would stay and help regardless of her presence here yet, I would be in your debt."

There was a bout of silence, in which Link prayed to the Goddesses that his words would have effect on the Gerudo king.

"I told you over a week ago to call me 'Ganon,' Link. I hate hearing my full name."

Link looked up in surprise.

Ganon rolled his eyes at the Hylian. "I've come this far, might as well continue going. Your Princess sent you after me for a reason, and there's no doubt in my mind that they will turn me down when I can promise them aid." He smirked. "Lead the way, Link. Your Princess needs saving."

"I..." Link was stunned, and when the words Ganon said caught up to him he gaped. "You're coming with me? To rescue the Princess?"

Ganon shrugged. "Might as well. I'm certainly not going to sit around and listen to your Hylians mope and moan about the war." Link twitched at the words, to which Ganon grinned, but immediately turned sober. "And the Dark Beings have taken her into what we know is their territory. Chances are any other soldier that tries to go after the Princess is going to die. As a Bearer, you have a better chance."

"But you don't need to come with me. You could—"

"I see no point in separating the pieces of the Triforce for this war unless it is absolutely necessary. Why not bring all three pieces together at the heart of the enemy? Strike them where it hurts, and maybe this war will be over soon."

A moment passed in which Link mulled over Ganon's words. "You may die. For a cause not your own," Link said.

Ganon grinned, fierce and something feral. He looked every bit the King of the Desert Warrior race. "And I thought my help alone was all you needed to win this war?"

_End Chapter Five..._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter brings us to yet MORE characters! And the longest damn scene I had ever written! Yay!
> 
> Thanks for reading, guys!


	6. The Underground Catacombs

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was going to post this a couple days from now, but instead I'm posting it when I have a moment to breathe instead of when I'm recovering from working two 9+ hour shifts in a row.
> 
> Link's backstory is talked about in this chapter, and we learn a little bit of Hyrule history and geography. Just a little. More to come.
> 
> Also starring: Ganon's Royal Attitude (Please stop, Link can't take you anywhere), Rusl's PTSD, and tea.

"So, this is Kakariko Village?" Ganon asked, peering at the shambled buildings up and down the single street, wind blowing harshly and dry weeds tumbling past the traveling pair. Each of the buildings towered upward, seeming to reach for the peak of Death Mountain, but each of them were hollow and empty, windows cracked and bordered up, doors bared by large planks and porches dusty and holed. "It's..." he trailed off, trying to think of a good word to describe the barren area they had rode into. "Quaint."

To Ganon's right, Link nodded, not paying much attention to the wasting village to his right, leading Epona along the path beside the Eldin Spring. "Indeed it is. It used to be thriving with life, but, just like the rest of Hyrule, things had to change. Most of its residents..." Link trailed off. "Well, you'll see. Follow me this way."

They rode down a small path leading behind the church, going uphill and twisting far behind the village. Ganon gazed around, seeing the Keese that flew above and the branches of pale, dead trees that dotted the cliff sides they were traveling between. Maelstrom huffs anxiously beneath him, kicking just a bit as they continued down the path for several minutes. And honestly, Ganon was too. Only four days in this country and it was different from nearly every memory he had of it.

"Here we go," Link annouced suddenly, dismounting his horse at a small gate. He walked up to it and unlocked the hatch, swinging the surprisingly well-oiled gate open and leading Epona through. "Now, which one was it...?"

Something like a chill rolled down Ganon's spine as his eyes took in the cemetery. "Link," he called, and Goddesses damnit his voice did not waver. "The residents are _alive,_ correct?"

Link looked back at him, puzzled. "Alive? Of course they are, why would you—" He cut himself off and slapped his forehead, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. "Yes, they are alive, Ganon. No worries, we aren't meeting any ghosts."

Ganon huffed, irritated at the teasing, but still pensive. He dismounted Maelstrom, keeping a hand on his reigns, and walked closer to Link, who was examining a massive, cracked headstone. "And we are in a graveyard because...?"

Link frowned at the headstone, leaning in and studying it closely. "We are in a graveyard...I think this is the one..." he trailed off, reaching out both hands and giving the marker a light shove. When it shifted (surprising, for it's large size), Link grinned and braced both hands on either side. "This one's it! We are in a graveyard, Lord Ganon, because _this_ —" And with a grunt he heaved the headstone to the side, stone scratching loudly on stone and dust kicking up into the winding air, to reveal a deep, steep passage leading down into the earth.

" _This_ is how we're going to meet with Shaman Renado and Keeper Rusl."

Ganon raised both brows. 'Well. What does one say to that?'

Link brushed his hands together and nodded. "Alright, you go in first—our horses will fit fine, but since Maelstrom hasn't been down there you'll need to keep him on hand, don't need a panicking horse in the catacombs—and I'll follow you down. Just need to move the headstone back over."

The King nodded, leading his horse to the dark passage. He peered down it for just a moment before stepping in, leading in Maelstrom behind him. Once they were a decent distant in, he turned back and watched as Epona seemed to saunter her way down the passage toward them, tossing her mane confidently while Maelstrom seemed to cower at the shadows.

"Storm, easy," he murmured to the anxious horse, running fingers through the black mane, all the while scowling at the relaxed and smug horse that settle beside the desert dwellers.

'I swear, this damn horse is the most arrogant, proud, full-of-herself...'

Ganon was still muttering curses at the relaxed mare when Link finally joined him, holding a lantern and gesturing towards the rest of the passage. "Onward, then?"

Maelstrom seemed eager to continue on, perhaps given some assurance by the light of the lantern, thus dragging Ganon behind him and on they went. As they walked, Ganon paid close attention to the walls and floors, noticing the stone work and detail in the small carving smattered throughout the walls. "How long have these been here?"

Link 'hmm'ed in thought. "No clue. Shaman Renado mention something about them being here already by the time the village was finished being built, but I might not have been paying too much attention at the time..."

Ganon furrowed his brows, thinking back to some of the earliest memories. Kakariko Village was being built back when Lord Ganondorf the First was making 'treaties' with King Daphneas Hyrule the Third, not finished until years after the Gerudo King's death. So when was...?

"Ah, yes, I remember now," Ganon said, sorting out his memories' knowledge. "These Catacombs were discovered during King Daphneas VI rule of Hyrule, when a plague had come down on the Village. During investigation, it was discovered that beings called the Skulli had dug these out—back when Kakariko village was first being built, there was an outbreak of the Skulltula curse, and the people who were cursed were seen a pariahs. They sought shelter in the basements of the houses being built and, while the new townspeople were distracted by their work above ground, created their own place below ground. Their curses were broken by the time the village was finished, but their work had already been completed. Quite a fascinating bit of history, though the Skulltula's will always creep me out because of it."

It was only the silence behind him that made Ganon turn around. Link was staring at the King, one brow raised high to his hairline, eyes wide and mouth slightly agape. Even Epona was giving him a look as they walked along. In turn he raised his own brow. "Is something the matter?"

Link blinked and shook his head, but still looked confused. "No, nothing, just," he coughed. "You seem to know a bit of rather obscure history, Ganon. You sure you've never been to Hyrule before?"

"Ah." Ganon turned back to face the passage, pursing his lips. "Unfortunately, one of the many things I was taught in order to become King was history—whether it be my people's own or the countries around."

There, that seemed a satisfying answer.

Finally, they rounded a corner and the passage widened, both outward and upward, light coming off torches from the walls and from small lanterns scattered here and there on the floor of the catacombs. The sound of people came to Ganon's ears, low, hushed talking and loud, brash conversation. Tables were lined across the walls, some lined with armor and some lined with papers, soldiers or simple men standing close together in groups, pouring over parchment or pouring each other drinks. It was crowded and busy, not unlike the front room of a tavern that Ganon had once been to, when he had first been let out of the Fortress and gone East to begin trade with the port towns.

He glanced at Link. "The entirety of Kakariko is here?"

"And more," Link said. He led the horses down the long corridor, people stopping to watch and notice. "Smaller Villages that were able to make the trip came and sought shelter and relief from the war—Kakariko Village is somewhat famous for being a safe haven from disaster during troubling times, or so I've been told. Personally, I'd rather make room with the Goron deep in their mountain, but the heat is rather unbearable."

They made it to something that resembled stables: there were already several horses in pins, eating grain or hay, looking tired but altogether healthy—more than could be said of the horses that he'd seen with the Hylians of Castle Town. "And it's safe here?" Ganon asked. "For the people?"

"Yes. So far, there hasn't been a breakout of the disease, whether it be in the people or in the land," Link explained, speaking momentarily to a stable master and handing the reigns off. "The only real fear is that they'll run out of food or never be able to live safely above ground again. Most of the women and children want to see the sun again, but it's dangerous up there.

"There has been the occasional bout of discord, but it's..." Link trailed off. "It's bearable."

Just then a young boy came running up to the pair, waving his gangly arms in greeting. "Link! Link, I'm so happy to see you!" the boy cried, nearly tackling the green clad man when he finally reached him.

Link laughed, wrapping arms around the excited boy. "Colin, it's good to see you as well. How've things been while I've been gone?"

As Colin prattled excitedly on about the going-ons of catacomb life, Ganon took stock of his surroundings. 'Oh, how the proud race has fallen,' he thought, watching as too thin people wandered the corridor, pale from not enough sunlight and clutching prayer beads to their chests. Despite the upbeat spin that Link had tried to weave into his description of these citizens' new home, there was a cloud of despair that seemed to hang over everyone. A part of him took in the solemn atmosphere and wanted to laugh, seeing what this war has done that 'he'd' never been able to fully accomplish.

But another part of him could only see his sisters. Only just seven, even six years ago they were off just as terrible, just as starved and beaten as these Hylians. And they had been like that for generations.

These Hylains. Only repressed for a year and already reduced to this.

"Lord Ganon?" Link's voice broke in. Ganon looked over at him, realizing that he lost himself in his thoughts. The Hylian nodded his head further down the corridor. "Come, Shaman Renado and Keeper Rusl are down this way."

Ganon shook himself and set to follow the Hylian and his young companion. They passed many more people, some in the corridor and down in others, in the archways of what could be described as rooms. Areas seemed to have been set up to house large groups of people, some dedicated to smaller children and their mothers, and there was one area they passed that a sweet smell drifted from, along with a hint of rosemary and garlic. Eventually they met the small passage way that was guarded by two men, neither looking the part of a soldier but armed all the same.

"Guardsmen Hiro and Kenn, I'm here to speak with Shaman Renado and his company," Link addressed the men, greeting them with a hand to his chest. They nodded at Link, then turned to stare over his shoulder at his company.

"An' will 'e be joining you, Link of O'dona?" the man on the right asked, pointing at the Gerudo.

"Has anyone ever taught you that pointing at someone was considered rude?" Ganon said before Link could say anything. The two men immediately scowled at him, the one on the right laying a hand on his hilt.

"Wha'? Wha' you say? I dare ya to say that again, mate!" he seethed, taking a step forward. Colin clutched to Link's side, eyes wide and staring between the Gerudo and the guardsmen.

"Uh, Guardsman Kenn, I'm sure he meant—" Link tried to interject, a friendly yet irritated smile on his face.

Ganon cut him off. "I said that it was rude to point at someone," he sneered, looking down his long nose at the man, who's face turned a rather unusual shade of pumice. "And another thing, instead of asking for Link's permission," Link's face went pink as he realized that Ganon was not going to use any titles for him in front of others, "why not direct your questions at the ones that your query is concerning?"

Kenn's face turned thunderous. "Why I oughta—" he growled, flicking his blade out an inch.

By this point, even Hiro was looking concerned. "Oi, Kenn, settle down, mate!" he shouted, reaching over to grab the man's sword arm.

Kenn furiously shook him off. "No, this bugger needs to learn 'is fuckin' place!" he yelled, taking a challenging step towards Ganon, who's sneer twisted into a smug grin.

Link looked like he wanted the ground to swallow him whole.

"'My place', you say?" Ganon jeered. "You think you can teach me ' _my place?'_ "

"Alright, come on, that's enough—"

_"What is going on out here?"_

At the voice, both Kenn and Hiro stood immediately at attention, Hiro seeming nervous and Kenn paling a considerable degree. Ganon rose a brow as Link release a sigh of relief, watching as Colin's face lit up, the boy releasing his death grip on Link and racing around the guardsmen towards the newcomer.

"Dad!" Colin greeted, hugging the man around his waist. "Wow, you came just in time!"

The man who hobbled out from the narrow passage was old, not terribly, but it seemed as though the years were certainly catching up to him. His hair was graying at the temples, held up and out of his face by a yellow bandana, ears large yet round, and his face was tired but determined. With one hand he hugged his son back, the other needed to clutch a sturdy cane. "Hello, Colin," he greeted. "I could have sworn I saw you out of these halls not ten minutes ago. Now, what's going on here?"

"Uh, sir, we were just, uh," Hiro stuttered, eyes shifting between Kenn and Ganon. "Link of O'dona was comin' through, and we were just askin' 'bout his fellow, ya see..."

"He was flippin' 'is lid, 'e was!" Kenn thundered. "All I was was askin' 'im a question, an'—"

"Alright, that's enough," the man said, voice loud and clear. Both guardsmen snapped their mouths shut with a snap. "If the man was with Link in the first place, then he is welcome back in these halls."

"B-but sir—" Kenn stuttered, looking livid.

"That's enough out of you, Guardsman Kenn," the man said, not quite shouting but tone strong. "Do I need to go down to the barracks and grab your wife?" Not bothering for a reply, he nodded at Link and Ganon, mouth curling upwards in a wry smile. "This way, fellows. Good to see you again, Link."

Link shot Ganon a glare before following. "Good to see you as well, Rusl."

Ganon smirked at the fuming guardsman before stepping around him and through the passage. "Ah, so you are Keeper Rusl? Just the man we were hoping to talk to."

Rusl looked back Ganon, arching a brow. "Well, convenient, don't you think?" He chuckled. They stopped before a wooden door, Rusl digging a key out of his pockets. He shot a warm smile at his son. "Colin, why don't you go see to your mother? I did send you after her a while ago, after all."

"Ah, right. Sorry, Dad. Bye Link!"

Once Colin was back through the passage did Rusl unlock the door, swinging it open and allowing Link and Ganon in first. "Renado, we have company!"

Inside the room, covered in maps and swords and quills and ink, a man also with round ears and long, dark, braided hair stood over the table in the middle, candle flame illuminating the large parchment he was examining. Dark eyes peered up from the table, smile forming when he saw who it was. "Link, so you were what the commotion was outside our doors!" he greeted, walking around the table to grasp the blonde Hylian by the shoulders. "It is good to see you whole and healthy, my young friend. And, ah, who might this be?"

Ganon smiled, but darted his eyes over to the Hylain. Link huffed a sigh before standing back and introducing him. "Shaman Renado, Rusl, this is Lord Ganondorf VI, King of the Gerudos and Bearer of Din's Power."

"King?" Rusl exclaimed from behind them, finally getting the door shut and hobbling over to the table. "Well, it's an honor to make your aquaintance, Lord Ganondorf. I apologize for my guardsmens' behaviors."

Ganon grinned. "Call me Ganon, please. And think nothing of it, Keeper Rusl."

At no mention that half of the argument was his fault, Link shot Ganon another scowl, but said nothing. Ganon almost snickered at the blond, but held it back.

Renado gave a small bow to the King. "Well met, Lord Ganon. I am Shaman Renado of Kakariko Village. To what do we owe your company? I pray you bring good tidings?"

Link and Ganon shared a glance, the warm atmosphere dropping cooler at the question. 

"Unfortunately, no, Shaman Renado," Ganon said, expression slipping into a frown. "It seems as though the fates toy with us."

Rusl frowned, sitting down and running a hand over his bad leg. "How do you mean?"

Link took a breath. "Rusl, we need the Gate Key. Lord Ganon and I are making way into Mathius."

Rusl's expression with both confused and alarmed. "What? Why, have the Generals called for a march?" he asked. "And I thought the gate was still open?"

"There has been no call for a march, Keeper Rusl. Only Link and myself are going to Mathius," Ganon said. He paid no attention to the sharp look that Renado sent him, nor the slight narrowing of eyes from Rusl. "And the gate has been closed."

Two days previous, after Link's short battle with the Dark Being, both Ganon and Link had made their way on horse back towards the border for Mathius, the path leading them past Fado's farm and between long hills. The way to Mathius, Link explained on the way there, was a tunnel dug deep into the southern mountain side several hundred years ago. The entrance to these tunnels was bared with a large stone gate, old magic keeping them sealed when locked. During times of great stress, such as war or sickness, the gates would be closed and locked, the key held by a gatekeeper until such a time when the gate could be unsealed.

Upon arriving to the tunnel, however, the two Bearers found their way bared.

_There was no seam to the gate doors, only a single key hole the was haloed by a deep indigo light. Link gaped at the keyhole in horror, face paling. "But, but how?" he gasped. "I could have sworn—"_

_Link cut himself off, flinging himself off of Epona's saddle and racing to the gate, hands searching for a seam or a hole. Ganon eased off of Maelstrom, walking up to examine the gate._

_"Is there no other way around?"_

_Link slapped a hand on the gate. "No," he grit out. "The mountains go on for miles and miles, and if we try to go over we'll be met with nothing but a long drop—if we even make it that far. This is the only way through to Mathius."_

_Ganon traced a finger along one of the glowing indigo lines, grunting at the heat radiating off of it. "How do we get this open? Do you know who the gatekeeper is?"_

_Link sighed, turning to slide down the gate doors and sit on the ground. It seemed the two day ride with no rest or sleep was at last catching up to him, not to mention the battle before that. "Yes. However, he's all the way back in Kakariko Village." He slid his hat from his head to run both hands through his hair. "Goddesses, how did they even get the gate to lock? It should be impossible without the key..."_

_The King watched the Hylian for a moment before turning to his pack on Maelstrom's saddle. He rummage through it for a moment before producing two blue bottles and a bedroll. He walked back over to the Hylian, dropping one of the bottles in his lap. At Link's questioning expression, he uncorked his bottle and took a swig, holding back a grimace. "Drink up. This should balance you out, since you refused to rest or eat for nearly three days," he remarked, snorting at the red that dance across Link's nose._

_"Oh, er...Thanks."_

_"We'll set up camp for tonight—there's no point heading out now." Ganon flung his bedroll out and sat down on it, gving Link a scowl. "How you managed to ride for so long without stopping is beyond me. Don't do that again, following you is exhausting."_

_"You didn't have to follow me, you know," Link grumbled, making a face as he swung the bottle's contents back._

_Ganon gave Link a look, not saying a thing. After a moment, he swallowed the rest of his bottle. "Tomorrow we make for Kakariko. Get some rest."_

"That's..." Rusl's frown deepened. "It shouldn't be closed, let alone locked. It can only lock with the key." He cast a look at Link. "And why do you need to make way to Mathius, Link, if there has been no call for a march?"

Shame colored Link's face, and he dropped his head. "Well, you see..."

"The Princess has been kidnapped. We're going to get her back."

Rusl's cane fell to the floor with a clatter, but he didn't bother trying to pick it up. Renado stared at Ganon in shock, eyes shifting between Ganon's stony expression and Link's down-turned face. Only the clanking footsteps of the militia outside the room and the tiny crackle of the candle flames filled the silence that followed Ganon's statement.

After several moments of stunned silence, Renado cleared his throat and rubbed his forehead. "Well, this is a...rather unfortunate turn of events," he murmured, moving to the corner of the room where a kettle was set up over a small flame. "I think this calls for some tea to calm the nerves."

"Tea, Renado?" Rusl growled, finally moving to retrieve his cane from the floor. "I think this calls for some sort of action! The Generals need to get together and prepare to get the Princess back—this Kingdom needs its ruler back on the throne!"

"Rusl, my friend, peace—"

"Damnit, Renado, the King was only killed a year ago!" Rusl shouted, standing stiffly and stalking over to the Shaman, who had placed the kettle down to face his friend with a frown. "The people are already in a panic with the King's assassination and the war, this is just the fucking icing on the cake! It's time the militia got off it's ass and actually joined the fight—"

"No, Rusl, they are much better served here, protecting these people—"

"Rusl, sit down, please—"

"Peace is something these damn Dark Beings have no concept of—the only way we can get them to back down and surrender is to beat them down, and how can we do that if the Princess is in their fucking hands? What if she's already dead?" he shouted, hands gesticulating wildly in his rage. "What then, Renado? Do you remember what the Kingdom was like when the Queen died 20 years ago? No, we can't let our people fall—I've had it up to here with your talks of patience and _peace!_ This is not the time for a cup of _tea,_ Renado. The only way to get out of this damn mess we've been thrown in is to fight!"

"And how do you expect to do that when you can't even walk, Rusl?" Renado said calmly, eyes like steal.

And at those words Rusl stumbled, hands dropping their cane and catching themselves on the shelves beside him, knocking down scrolls and dusty books. Link let out a pained whine and rushed to his side, catching an arm and lifting the man up gently. "Rusl, please, sit down," he urged, guiding the gasping man back to a chair at the table.

All of the energy that Rusl had had left in a breath. He looked drained, and slumped forward in his chair to rest his elbows on the table, head in his hands. Link fretted over the man quietly, moving only when Renado stepped over with a steaming mug.

"Friend," Renado started gently, "I know how you feel."

"This war is too much, Renado," Rusl muttered tiredly. "It feels like the past fifteen years before this mess started was only a short week. Like the Goddesses were just waiting to spit Hyrule back into chaos once when we all had just gotten out feet under us again..."

Link shuffled uneasily at the words, rubbing his right hand over his left. Ganon watched this with sharp eyes.

"And just like every time, the Goddesses will help us back out again. You've survived this long, my friend. You will survive past this, I am sure," Renado said, smile warm. "But first, let your leg finish healing. All this walking you are doing will not help with the process."

"How did you injure your leg in the first place?" Ganon asked, speaking up for the first time since he dropped his bombshell.

Rusl spared him a glace, reaching for the mug of tea in front of him with a grunt. "It was on the travel here from Ordona," here, Link flinched. "We were ambushed by a pack of Bokoblins, and they were partied with a Dark Being." He grimaced. "We were lucky—no one died from the ambush; the women and children were able to get the wagons going and on ahead to Kakariko while us men stayed to fight. Unlucky _me,_ however, got stuck blade to blade with the Dark Being. It was only by chance that this one here," he pointed to Link, "happened to be riding by on his way to Ordona Province to check on us—otherwise, I probably would have lost my leg."

Rusl pushed his chair from the table to roll his pants leg up a bit and show the Gerudo, and Ganon had to physically fight the urge to throw up. The skin around the knee was molted and gray, looking withered and thin. The bone was too pronouced, and maybe it was his imagination but it smelled old, as if it were dead.

"Goddesses," Ganon choked out. "How are you able to walk?"

Rusl grinned. "With a very strong concoction made by this here Shaman and the cane my son made for me. I've only been able to start walking again a couple months ago, but hopefully I won't need the cane by the time the year ends."

"As long as you stick to the therapy plan that I gave you, you might be able to take a stroll with Uli around Yuletide," Renado said, thwapping his friend on the head before sitting down with a mug of tea himself.

With Rusl and Renado both sitting at the table themselves, Ganon allowed himself the same pleasure, pulling out a chair and gracefully sitting down. "Would you get me some tea, Link?" Ganon asked, not bothering to hear the Hylian's reply before leaning over the table, looking Rusl in the eye. "Keeper Rusl. Would you lend us the Gate Key so that we may make way to Mathius?"

Rusl glanced at Link, who, despite scowling at being told to make tea, was pouring two mugs over in the corner. "You understand, Lord Ganon, that Mathius has become a very dangerous place? Just you two alone in that country is going to be a foolhardy venture."

"Yes, Lord Ganon," Renado agreed. "A few refugees have made way from their own country, seeking shelter from the Dark Beings." He pulled a large swath of parchment out of the pile on the table, clearing an area to lay it flat on its surface. 'Mathius' was spelled across the top, the path to Hyrule highlighted in blue ink, whereas most of the country itself was either soaked in red or black. "The Mathians say that it has become a Dark Country, diseased and swarming with dark creatures. I would not recommend going alone."

Link came back to the table with the two mugs then, sliding one to Ganon in an annoyed fashion before leaning against the table with a hip. "It's not recommended, no, but as the only two Bearers, we are the only ones up to the task." He took a sip of his tea. "Rusl, you've seen first hand what the Dark Beings will do to us—for some reason our pieces of the Triforce protect us from that.

"Please, Rusl," Link implored, "allow us your key."

Rusl gave Link a good long look, crossing his arms and pursing his lips. He sighed a moment later. "I would, Link. If I had it."

...What?

"Pardon, Keeper?" Ganon smiled charmingly, a tick forming above his brow. He couldn't have heard what he think he just heard. "What was that? I think I might have misheard you."

Rusl bit his lip, having the decency to look shamed. "I would give you the Gate Key, Lord Ganon," he repeated, "If I had it."

Link's mouth was opening and closing, eyes wide and his tea was spilling onto the table top, soaking into what might have been precious maps and documents. Even Renado was staring at the gatekeeper in surprise, not caring one bit about his maps being ruined.

"Rusl..." Renado started, then stopped, not sure where to continue. He coughed. "Rusl, when did you lose the Gate Key? You've had it for fifteen years."

"Uh," Rusl sheepishly shrugged, "During the travel to Kakariko?"

"Rusl!" Link shouted. "That was a year ago! Why didn't you say anything!?"

"I didn't think it was that important at the time! The gate was still open, refugees were coming through the tunnel, and it's not like something like a gate seems to be stopping the Dark Beings in the first place!" Rusl defended, hands asking for peace.

As both Link and Renado yelled at Rusl for his stupidity ("That must be how they were able to lock the gate—because _you_ dropped the key!" "Hey, don't blame that on me!"), Ganon pinched his nose to try and stave off the coming headache. It wasn't helping much. Quickly he ran through the options that were available to them, going through memories and sorting out more information. "Would it be possible," he started, loud enough to cut through the growing squabble, "to have another key made?"

The three men blinked.

Ganon huffed. "If memory serves, the gate and the key were created by the Gorons," he explained. "As they are an old race, both in history and in longevity, they should be able to make a dupilcate. Would it be possible to ask them to make another one?"

Link and Rusl both looked confused, but Renado stood with a thoughtful expression. "...Yes, it may be possible," he said. "However, the Gorons have locked themselves under Death Mountain a couple months ago. I've sent messages to them, but I've yet to get a reply."

Ganon held back from rolling his eyes. 'Well, that sounds familiar,' he thought to himself. He stood. "We'll have to go knock them from the mountain, then, won't we?" He nodded at Renado and Rusl. "Thank you for your time and for the tea. Is there someone I could talk to about supplies?"

Rusl nodded, looking a bit perplexed. "Uh, yes, Lord Ganon. Ask after Trader Sera and her apprentice Young Malo—they take care of provisions down here."

Ganon nodded. "Thank you again."

When Ganon left, Rusl gestured for Link to sit. "So, that is the reason I've not seen you for over a month? I remember you sending me a letter nearly three weeks ago saying that the Princess was sending you on a quest..."

Link sat with a sigh, taking a sip from his mug, only to find that he had spilt all of it. He almost stood again to clean the mess, but Renado beat him to it with a dry cloth and a smile. "Ah, yes. She found a way to find the last Bearer and sent me after him." He traced the pattern of his Courage piece over the leather of his gauntlet absentmindedly. He knew where each triangle sat, almost better than he knew how to ride Epona. "It's her belief that only with all three piece of the Triforce combined can the war be won."

Rusl snorted. "It's a curse."

Link bit his lip and sunk into his seat. "I know how you feel about it," he said quietly. Renado gave him a firm squeeze on the shoulder as he set a new mug of tea in front of him. "It doesn't change the fact that Lord Ganon is able to fight off these Dark Beings better than an entire platoon of trained soldiers."

Rusl sighed and took a sip of his tea, grimacing at the taste. "I'm just worried about you. You've been, I don't know," he waved a hand through the air, "almost obsessed with fighting in this war, since you put on that green monstrosity. Before, you didn't want anything to do with it."

"Ilia doesn't think it's a monstrosity," Link muttered.

"Yes, but she's had a crush on you for a few years now. She'll say anything to gain your fancy." Renado chuckled at Link's groan; they all knew how the young Hylian felt about Ilia's crush on him. "Has the Gerudo King been treating you well, Link?" he asked.

"Yeah, for the most part." Link fingered his mug, tilting it so that it stood on an edge. "It's strange—when I first came to him about the war, he refused. I argued with him on every front I could think of, but he wouldn't budge. It was only when I was about to walk away that he said he would help." He wisely kept his mouth shut about being sent into the Shadow Temple.

"Hmm. I wonder what could have changed his mind," Renado wondered, pulling out some clean parchment and fetching a quill.

Link shrugged. "No clue. He agreed to at least talk to the nobles. When we learned that the Princess was captured, he actually argued with _me_ about whether or not he was coming with me to rescue her." He grinned. "Threw my own words back at me."

A frown graced Rusl's face. "He seems awful familiar towards you," he remarked.

"Ugh, I know. I can't get him to call me properly, not even around others. It's embarrassing!" Link said, running a hand over his face as his cheeks heated. "Someone's going to think that we're, you know...together or something. Goddesses, what would Uli say if she heard him address me?"

"Does he make you uncomfortable?" Rusl asked in all seriousness. Link gave him an odd look.

"No, should he?" he asked, confused.

Renado shared a look with Rusl, before smiling at Link and distracting him with questions of Castle Town. As Link described what he could remember about the attack on the city, lamenting that he should have checked on Madam Telma ("Oh, she's fine. She's survived many wars before, she'll survive this one. She's like a cockaroach. And don't ever call her Madam again, Link, she'll box your ears!" "I know, Renado, I know.") and relaying the tragedy of Ordona Village, Rusl frowned in his seat, staring at the back of Link's left hand.

_End Chapter Six..._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Stay tuned for Ganon and Link going to Death Mountain to talk to the Gorons! We'll find out what's been happening with them, Ganon will have discover electricity, and Link is going to have to learn to deal with Ganon's Attitude. It's a work in progress.


	7. Climbing Death Mountain

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Party season is FINALLY over at work, thank the gods, and apparently I have PTO coming up in a couple weeks? I still have a couple of days that I have to go in and work, but for the most part my schedule is BLESSEDLY free. (And then it's back to 40+ hours a week and hoping to finally get through the last part of my current training levels to move up to lead supervisor...)
> 
> WHAT THIS MEANS is I can SLEEP and UPDATE THIS FIC LIKE I WANT TO! Yay! Thanks for being patient, my few readers, and I hope you enjoy this chapter! Mostly lore drops and headcanons and such and Ganon making mental notes for future plans.
> 
> ...Oh, and a guest appearance from Link's Hammer Space.

The two Bearers decided to make their way up Death Mountain just before sunset. Rusl and Renado had tried to get the pair to wait until the next day, but Ganon stressed the importance of getting to Mathius as quickly as possible, and off they went. The wind was still blowing just as harsh, though cooler, hinting at freezing temperatures through the night. So far, three hours into their trek, they've made it more than halfway up the mountain side.

"So why," Ganon panted, heaving himself over yet another small cliff wall, "does it feel like we aren't getting any closer?"

"We're getting there," Link promised, leaping up onto another platform just ahead. "We don't have too much farther to go—it only feels as if forever because we're going up, not down."

'Says the man that's not even breaking a sweat,' Ganon grumbled to himself. After _yet another_ cliff, he called out, "Question for you, Link: why is it that you have so much energy?"

"How do you mean?"

"What do you—I mean that you are practically jumping from platform to platform!" he shouted after the Hylian. "Did you join the circus when you were a child? Perform on the high-wire?"

Link peered over the edge of a cliff to give Ganon an incredulous look. "Circus?" he questioned, baffled.

"...Nevermind."

Link rolled his eyes and leaned his arm over the edge to give Ganon a hand up. Ganon took it somewhat gratefully, forcing his body up and onto more even ground. 'Finally,' he thought, choosing to sit and rest for a moment, 'a straight path we can follow.' With a relieved sigh he pulled his waterskin from his side and took a swig, thankful that the water was still cool. They sat for a few minutes, enjoying a short break. Ganon sat back and looked over the path they had taken. Miles from the ground they were, the first platforms nothing but a speck of dust to the eyes.

He was just tying his waterskin back to his belt when a pebble started shaking on the ground beside him. "What the..."

Link tensed beside him, looking around as the smaller pebbles and rocks started to vibrate, some staying in place and some leaping off the cliff's edge. "I think this is..."

" _Hyaaaao!_ "

Ganon and Link both snapped their heads up the path ahead, both spotting a fast-moving brown blur rolling at dangerous speeds towards their location. "That's—!" Ganon scrambled to stand, making his way quickly over to the tall cliff walls on either side of the path. When he noticed that Link did not move, he growled. "Link, move it! If that Goron hits you, you're—!"

"Don't worry, I've got this," Link said, the picture of calm, and Ganon wanted to smack him.

Link stood in the middle of the path, Goron rolling ever closer. He narrowed his eyes at the brown boulder, tightening his hands into fist at his side, and hopped in place. Ganon made a face at the strange move, wondering what Link thought he was doing; did he hope that if he jumped at the right time he would somehow _not_ be hit by the rolling deathtrap? But when Link landed from his hop, Ganon's eyes went impossible wide as the small man landed with a loud crack!, earth shattering beneath his boots.

'Goddesses, holy sh—!?'

Link took a single step to the side, the step loud and like thunder—where his foot had been previous was a solid, inch-deep footprint, the bottom dust and shards of rock—and took a stance, hands held at the ready in front of him and determination on his face. And Ganon almost looked away as the Goron reached its destination, but couldn't so much as blink as Link stopped the Goron stone cold in it's tracks, not moving an inch, and with a shout heaved the massive being to his right, the Goron landing with a deep thud and a moan.

Link took in a breath and released it, hopped in place again, this time landing with only a light _tap_ , dusted off his hands and went to help the Goron to his feet.

While the Hylain helped the Goron get its bearings, Ganon took a moment to slid down into a crouch, resting his head in his hands. He took a deep breath. 'I…am not entirely sure what just happened,' he admitted to himself. Almost nothing that he could remember suggested Link being able to alter his weight at will – not to mention that there wasn't a single creature alive that was able to do so, that he knew of.

After a moment, Ganon released the breath he was holding, and ran his hands through his hair. 'Just, just put it aside, and ask about it later,' he thought, righting himself mentally and standing. 'There are bigger matters to deal with here.'

"...It's hard to believe that you were so close already, Brudda," the deep rumble of the Goron's voice cutting into Ganon's hearing.

"Yes, we were already on our way up the mountain path. There was word to Shaman Renado that the Gorons had locked themselves in the Mountain?" Link asked. Blue eyes glance back at Ganon.

The Goron sighed, the breath loud and long and a small stream of steam was visible for just a moment from his nose. "Yes." He clenched his large hands into fists at his side. "Yes, two months ago one of our Elders fell ill with the Disease. Gor Amato had taken to helping the other of our Bruddas with the Disease, and one day, his steam fell cool and he began breathing out..."

Link swallowed. "Coffin Dust."

"And it spread through him quickly. Just last week, Gor Amato passed."

"May the Goddesses grant him safe passage across the River."

The Goron gave Link a sad smile. "My thanks, Brudda. His passing has hit us hard."

"Was his sickness the reason that your people felt the need to shut yourselves away?" Ganon asked. Link and the Goron turned to look at him. He raised a brow. "I realize that he was an Elder, but you stated yourself that he was taking care of those who had this...'Coffin Dust' disease. Why close yourselves in only when one of the Elders fall ill?"

"I – " The Goron blinked. "Who are you?"

The Gerudo resisted the urge to roll his eyes and simply turned to give Link a look. The blond huffed. "This is Lord Ganondorf VI, King of the Gerudos and Bearer of Din's Power. He is here to help us in the war."

"I originally came for negotiations," Ganon remarked, "but it seems that that will have to wait until after everything is said and done."

As Link sent an unimpressed glare at the King, the Goron stared at Ganon, beady black eyes narrowed a bit as something like recognition shifted across his face. Ganon stared cooly back, not bothered by the searching stare. With the longevity of the Goron race, it didn't come as a surprise that perhaps the Gerudo Kings' name sturred up some memories. After a moment, the Goron gave a bow – not generous, but certainly not insulting.

"It is an honor, Lord Ganondorf," the Goron said. "It has been far too long since Gerudos had last stepped foot on this land with good intentions. My Bruddas call me Tor Coringa."

"Well met, Tor Coringa," Ganon nodded in return. "Now, why _did_ your people shut themselves away for so long? There must be another reason."

Coringa made a pained noise. "Yes, Lord Ganondorf, you speak truth. To be honest, when the news spread through the mountain that Gor Amato was ill with the Disease, the Chief and the rest of the Elders had only intended to close the mountain for a few days, to allow us all to grieve and to prepare for his eventual passing – dispite Gor Amato's great efforts, and the efforts of our Hylian and Zora friends, there has been no cure found for the disease.

"Unfortunately, even with shutting ourselves in, we were so distracted by our losses that...a small number of Bulblins made it in," Coringa admitted. "And with them, a single Dark Being."

Link hissed in a breath. "Damn."

Ganon narrowed his eyes. "Why only now come for help?" he asked. "Surely it would have been better to seek aid when the Mountain was infiltrated instead of trying to wait it out."

The Goron flinched. "I...will admit that it may have been our pride, Lord Ganondorf. We had thought, 'We can handle this, it is only one Dark Being in our mines.'" Coringa bowed his head in shame. "But, with everything that had been happening... You must understand, Link of Ordona and Lord Ganondorf, so much had happened at once – Gor Amato's illness, my Bruddas preparing for his passing, and with the Bulblins and Dark Being invading our home, all in so short a time, a few duties were left undone," Coringa explained, wary and griefed.

"What sort of duties?" Link asked.

Coringa took a deep breath. "You must know, Link of Ordona, that when a Goron dies, we do not do as Zoras and Hylians and bury our dead. We spend a day washing our fallen clean and dousing them in oils, specially made from the roots of our Bomb Flowers. When that is done, we can then wrap them in the colors of their families and throw them into the Mountain's heart – the top of the volcano. With the bodies doused in the Bomb Flower oils, the Goron bodies can then burn, where normally we would not. It is the only way that we say goodbye to out Bruddas."

Something like dread curled up underneath Ganon's chest as he listened to Coringa's words. Since coming to Hyrule, Ganon had only heard about it, but with what Coringa was saying... "Tor Coringa," he started, surprised at how level his voice came out, "are you trying to tell us that one of the duties left undone..."

_"What exactly is happening here, Link of Ordona," Ganon hissed as he crossed over to Link's side, wrapping a hand tightly around the smaller man's upper arm to turn the man to face him. He kept his voice low despite his anger, respecting the mourning Hylian soldiers around them, but his eyes burned a cool gold in the bright light from the Pits. "I hadn't heard about this ritual before – last I heard you carried the men back to their families, to let their families honor them as they will. What right do you have to burn them?"_

_The Hylian pursed his lips, looking affronted at Ganon's fury, yet resigned to it as well. "It's not what you think, Ganon," Link murmured to him. Blue eyes glared tiredly at the Gerudo King before sliding away with a sigh, glare melting into remorse. "We have to burn them, Ganon, no matter how we feel – or their families feel – about it. If we don't..."_

Coringa nodded. "Yes, it is as you think. For just a few days, our dead were left unattended."

Link ran his hands over his face, tension in his arms making the movement tight and slow. "Tor Coringa," Link said slowly when his hands dropped to his sides, "please don't tell me. Please don't tell me that the Dark Being – "

"I am sorry, Link of Ordona, Brudda," Coringa pleaded. "But we truly did not realize until it was too late."

_"If we don't, then they will come back, but not as our friends. Worse than Redeads – those are fallen soldiers that were never brought home to be put to rest, and their spirits felt their battle was never done," Link yanked his arm back, actions and voice tinged with bitterness. "But this? They have no choice. If their body is still intact after their death, then the Dark Beings will take them._

_"Take them and turn our friends against us."_

"This is why I have come down the Mountain," Coringa explained, black eyes leaking steaming trails of tears. "I admit that pride has kept our doors locked tight, but if I have to see another Brudda fall before their own again, it will be the end of me. And I cannot bear the thought that I may be used against my family."

Ganon closed his eyes and did his best not to curse. The thought that the Dark Beings were using the old Black Art of Necromancy still horrified him, and while he had seen Redeads before, he still couldn't wrap his mind fully around the idea of the Dark Beings using the Hylains' own against them. 'But with the mess that the Goron's have found themselves in, I may be forced to see it first hand.'

"We'll help," Link said, voice firm. "You said there was only one Dark Being in the Mountain, correct?"

The Goron swiped his large hands underneath his eyes. "Yes. It and the Bulblins have taken the mines, and from there control our Bruddas."

"Link, do not forget that we are here for more than just eradicating the mines," Ganon reminded. "We cannot spend weeks on this, we might not even have days."

"I know, but they might not be able to help until that Dark Being is gone."

Coringa looked between the two. "I did not think to ask – Link of Ordona, Lord Ganondorf, what was it that you came to the Mountain for? It is selfish of me to think that you came just to aid my Bruddas, no matter how much we need help."

Link raised his hands in placation. "Tor Coringa, don't worry. It can be discussed later – "

"We were hoping that your people would forge us something," Ganon interrupted, speaking loudly over his companion. He ignored the glare shot his way. "We need a key, one that was made by the Gorons centuries ago, to be remade again. If it can be done, then this war has a chance to be won. If it can't..."

"Lord Ganon," Link bit out, his eyes narrow and seething. "This can be discussed later. Have some respect for their situation."

Ganon turned to face the Hylian, straightening his back and lowering his voice. "Respect?" He gave a humorless chuckle. "I realize that I may have given you some reign to my name, Link, but that does not mean that the level of _respect_ you should be treating me with should be any different. Do not forget."

Link blinked, shocked. "I – "

"I am a _King_ , and not only that, but a King that you went out of your way to collect from my own Kingdom to aid in a war that I wanted no part in. _I_ am owed your respect. And perhaps you should be paying your own situation respect as well, considering that the life of your precious Princess is on the line."

Link was scowling deeply, lips pursed and nostrils flaring as he breathed deep and long. Ganon fixed him with cool eyes, ignoring the uncomfortable Goron on the sidelines for a moment. "On that note," he continued, tone no longer cutting, "I was simply letting Tor Coringa know of our own needs. I never said that I wouldn't lend my hand, simply trying to convey that time was of the essence."

A beat passed between them. After a moment, Link twitched and crossed his arms, scowling off to the side, but shoulders no longer stiff. "My apologies, Lord Ganon."

Coringa coughed, drawing the attention of the two men. "I don't know what has been happening in Hyrule, but I think it is time for my Bruddas and I to reach out once again," he said. He nodded upwards towards the path. "Come with me – I know a way into the Halls that has not been taken or sealed, and when we are inside you may speak with Cor Coron." Coringa smiled, something warm yet fragile around the edges. "He speaks highly of you, Link of Ordona, and wishes to Sumo with you again."

Luckily for Ganon, the way into Death Mountain's Halls was only a short ways up the path, hidden in the shadow of the valley's walls and up a tall, yet managable, cliff. Once inside the hidden passage, the Goron led them up a short stoned path, lit by a few torches embedded into the walls, and right up to the strangest contraption.

"Here we are," Coringa said, waving a hand at the contraption. "Step in, and I'll hit the lever."

"What, exactly, am I stepping into?" Ganon asked, eyes running over it. It looked like a giant steal cage without a door, the sides lined with an unusual set of vertical chains that seemed to lead both down into the floor below the cage and up above it as well. "I've never seen anything like this."

"We call it a 'Lift', Lord Ganon." Coringa smiled encouragingly at the Gerudo. "It is a safe and extremely fast way to travel up and down the Mountain. Much easier than walking or rolling the whole way."

Fascination widened Ganon's eyes, and he carefully stepped onto the 'Lift', noting the way the cage seemed to dip momentarily underneath his weight before equilizing. "Interesting. How does it work?"

Link glanced sideways at the King as he climbed on as well, Coringa squeezing in and loudly cranked one of the handles next to the entrance down. The entire lift shuddered for just a moment, a deep groan echoing in the passageway around them, before a gentle _whir_ purred and the chains rattled as the lift began to travel up into the ceiling. "Cor Coron explained it to me the first time I came to Death Mountain," Link began, answering for the Goron. His voice was uncharacteristicly soft (Ganon suspected from being given a lecture). "It works using a set of magnets built into the lift and along the chains, and what he told me was called 'Electricity.'"

"Electricity?" Ganon blinked. "And magnets?"

"Yes."

Ganon gazed around himself as the lift continued upwards, watching as the chains worked the lift upwards. He squinted – the lighting wasn't the best, with only one lamp in the lift, but he could see that some of the chains were traveling downwards as another set of chains traveled at a more sedate pace upwards alongside the cage. "Does it work a bit like the Pulley System?" he asked. At Coringa's nod, he prompted, "So how does this 'electricity' and the magnets work into it? How does it all work?"

Coringa hummed, crossing his arms. "Truthfully, I am not the best one to ask – I mostly work in the mines as a digger, and don't spend much time working with the machinery," he said. "But I can explain the basics.

"The chains on the lift work like a pulley – one end of the chains move downward to lift this cage upwards, and just the same for going down. The electricity and the magnets allow the lift to work by itself. These levers here," Coringa pointed to the handles, three sets sitting side by side, with the one Coringa pulled earlier the only one down, "control where the lift goes to, and tell the electricity how long to run to get the lift moving.

"Once one of the levers is hit, the electricity is turned on, through the chains and to the magnets along the system, which allow the chains to move the lift. Once the lift gets to the level it needs the lever indicates, then the electricity turns off and the lift stops."

Ganon turned this information over in his head. "I am to assume that this electricity is a form of energy? Like Magic?"

Link's lips twitched, and Coringa laughed, but not mockingly. "No, Lord Ganondorf, not magic. Electricity – well, it is a form of energy, yes, but it does not come from Magic. Think of...lightening." At Ganon's wide eyes, he smiled. "It is complex and beyond my own understanding, but my Bruddas and Gor Liggs know much about this subject. Perhaps you might be able to ask more about this from them?"

"Yes," Ganon muttered thoughtfully, mind racing with possibilities. "I might just have to."

The rest of the ride up, Ganon thought about this new discovery. Electricity, as far as Ganon was aware, was unheard of. What if he and his sisters could figure out a way to tap into it? What if this...lift system could be borrowed? Perhaps, possibly, it could be modified to travel sideways, so that instead of going up and down, it could run across the ground, traveling great distances. Ganon ran a hand over his chin in thought; the Desert was vast, and took several days, sometimes weeks, to get to the next settlement. If this could be used to quicken travel across the Gerudo Desert, trade would become that much easier, that much faster. It would open up new realms of connections that were, so far, unheard of...

Ganon's thoughts were jostled as he felt his stomach rise, an unusual feeling that he usually associated with being thrown from his horse. He reached out his hands, one going to the cage wall and another landing on Link's shoulder, causing the Hylian to start in surprise. "Apologies," he said, the chains rattling louder and the _whir_ rumbling deep as the lift came to a stop, the cage opening up to a brightly lit room. "It's just..."

Coringa shrugged. "Ah, yes. For some, when riding the lift, it feels like the gut is flying. It is strange, yes, but not unusual." He stepped out of the lift, head turning from side to side to look about the room. Seeing it empty, he motioned Ganon and Link into the room. "Follow me, I will show you to my Bruddas."

Ganon took a step onto solid ground, glancing briefly back to the lift before following the Goron, Link following sedately behind him. The room was large, with a high ceiling and round walls and archways; on one side there was a large raised platform with large Goron-sized benches circled around it, and further into the room sat a large doorway filled to the brim with giant black stones.

Their guide took them along one of the well-worn paths along the edge of the room to a corridor that led down, torches lining the rounded walls and ceiling. Within minutes the corridor opened up to another chamber, this one much larger than the last - the ceiling continued on for what Ganon assumed to be a hundred feet, and the path they stood on led either way to the side along the walls with no fence between the edge of the path and a sudden drop down to the next level, continuing down for what looked to be another five stories. A massive pot of fire lay suspended in the air above them with a series of thick chains and sturdy, wooden banisters, the light illuminating the vast chamber to every corner that Ganon could see.

And within it, not a single hint of life.

As Coringa motioned them down to the left, Ganon noticed that this place - it had to be the main hall, the room was so gigantic, and yes, there were the unattended shops just two levels below and the lowest level looked to have a silent bonfire with sitting mats laid all around it, as if for gatherings and special events - had not seen life in a while, probably not since the Dark Being got in with the Bulblins. The small group turned into a stairwell and Ganon felt like his suspisions were confirmed as they passed a large patch of Bomb Flowers, each over grown, vines running along the floor and reaching for nutrients and at the same time looking bereft and unhealthy.

They continued down three more levels, passing the unattended shops and more than several sad Bomb Flower patches in varying stages of grown and withered until Coringa stopped, carefully moving an unassuming statue to the side. Goron's hummed at the hidden passage, peering down the dark path. "How many cities do you think we going to find hiding underneath abandoned civilizations, Link?"

Coringa motioned them into the passage. "Hurry, please, I fear keeping this open for too long," the Goron whispered, voice rumbling at its low tones.

Once inside the statue was moved carefully back into place, enclosing the path in darkness. A very faint light seemed to trickle softly from several length ahead of them, and with quiet steps the three of them made their way towards it.

Another while late and the trickle of light gradually became brighter, and with the light came sound - things moving, rumbling voices, a steady hiss of steam - and as they got closer, Ganon could feel the air become thick with humidity.

Coringa held out a large hand, halting them in their tracks. "If you could wait a moment?" he asked, beady eyes suddenly wary. "While I'm sure you will be greeted warmly…"

"Nobody knew you had left for help," Link finished, choosing to lean against a wall. "I understand. We can wait."

"Though hopefully not for long," Ganon remarked, leaning against the wall opposite Link. Link shot another scowl at him, mouth shut in a tight line, but Coringa nodded in understanding.

"I will be quick," the Goron nodded at them, and disappeared further down the path.  
Ganon had to give Link some credit when it took the Hylain several minutes to speak up after Coringa left.

"…You make it hard," Link suddenly spoke, voice terse.

"Hard?" Ganon questioned, raising a brow.

Link shifted his eyes to the path and crossed his arms across his chest, pulling his shoulders inward. "To respect you."

Ah. Ganon crossed his arms as well, shifting his feet out to let the wall take more of his weight. His lips twitched upwards. "How so?"

"You – " Link huffed, scrunching his nose in frustration. "It's like you don't know how to say things nicely. Or in any way other than blunt or rude. And my first impression of you wasn't..." He ran a hand over his face, fingers catching on his jaw and holding there. "I can count on one hand the number of times we've had a civil conversation. Maybe I've been looking at things the wrong way, but..."

Ganon shrugged. "I don't see much need to mince words or attempt to be nice to someone who doesn't deserve it." Link's eyes flashed in anger, but Ganon held up a hand. "I'm not saying I see no reason to be nice to you, Link. If I felt no desire to be 'civil' or 'nice' towards you, I wouldn't have followed you to Ordona, into Kakariko, and I most certainly would have made you climb this mountain by yourself."

If anything, Link's brow furrowed more. "And then you go and say something like that!" Link exclaimed. "You're so hard to read, Ganon. One moment you're picking fights with guardsmen and the next you're-you're offering to help Gorons get their home back." With a sharp motion he started pacing, Ganon's gold eyes following. "I can tell you don't want to be here – "

"I don't," Ganon supplied.

" – but despite all reason and cause for you to turn around and go back home, to your Fortress and the possibility of never seeing this war, you stay." Link stopped, turning confused and annoyed eyes onto the Gerudo. "And no matter how I think on it, it doesn't make any sense to me."

Silence fell over the two, Link visibly tense and confused, Ganon still and expressionless.

After a time, Ganon closed his eyes and breathed out deeply. "As King," he started, voice soft, startling Link out of his tension, "I have to be prepared to look at a situation and see multiple outcomes. Do you recall what lay in the depths of the Shadow Temple?" He didn't bother waiting for a reply. "While true the trials within the temple were physically taxing, the temple itself is a puzzle - in order to reach the inner sanctum, you needed to find all of the keys, all of the hidden rooms, find and regard every obstacle with your head and not just a swing of your sword. My people lay the Shadow Temple as one of the King's Trials because it made you _think_ , made you look at everything from every angle and prepare for all of the outcomes. When you first came to the Fortress with Hyrule's bid of aid, I had to look at this just the same, look at all the angles. How would my sisters bare the burden of war? What would the affects be if I turned you away? Would that further the distance between out nations? What would happen if I answered the call for help?

"I stand by that the Gerudos have no need for anything from the West, aside from maybe a kind hand. And we've thus far hadn't had much contact with Hyrule in almost nearly three centuries. But I chose the option to speak with your Princess, because in the end, this was the option with the most potential. Potential for peace, for allowing trade and travel for my sisters into untouched territory, _great_ potential for putting myself at risk, but also..." Ganon allowed a smirk to curl his lips. "There is potential to get something I truly _want._ "

He opened his eyes, finding Link staring at Ganon with wide eyes. "I will not change how I speak and treat people – whatever you're feelings about that you'll have to fix on your own, but know that I never act without reason," he said, his Power warming with the words. He glanced down at his hand, seeing the glow peek from underneath his bracers, and his brow furrowed as his thoughts drifted towards his 'memories'.

'No...even in the throws of madness there was always a reason behind 'my' actions...'

The warmth became a burn as his mind drifted, mind echoing with actions and decisions of a man long gone, the thoughts racing across his mind like sand across stone on a windy day, some sticking in cracks and some flying away. Ganon had always understood, on some level, why 'he' had done the things he had done. Traveling the sands, attacking villages and caravans and taking any and all riches, seeking out the witch twins and burning magic into his being, hunting out the green fields far to the West in search of what seemed the only thing that would free his sisters of poverty...

"What is it?"

Ganon blinked, burn snuffing out and glow disappearing, and he raised his head to look at Link. "What is what?"

Link looked contemplative, perhaps a little uncomfortable and still confused, but it seemed that what Ganon had said appeared to have some affect on the Hylian. "What is it that you want?"

He blinked again, slowly, and tilted his head to regard the man in front of him. He didn't say anything, just took in the sight of him, thinking on his decision that he made just over two weeks ago – 'Has it really not even been half a month?' – and he smiled, small and secretive.

Perhaps it was a good thing that Coringa had come back to fetch them just then.

_End Chapter Seven_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Link: What do you want?
> 
> Ganon: Some Goddesses' damned peace and quiet.
> 
> Also. No, I will never, ever explain away Link's hammer space. Ganon will just have to break his mind trying to understand the physics behind it.
> 
> Action will be returning next chapter! :D Are you guys excited!?


	8. Rest in Peace

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So like all of my good plans for relaxing and taking time for myself, my plan to use my PTO from work to work on my fics and other things was instead used to cover my sick days at work because I got the flu. Like. I _got the flu_. I had to be put in an ice bath, I lost my voice, I've been coughing up blood, I was put on 5 different medications... Not. Fun.
> 
> At least this chapter has already been written.
> 
> Here we find out a little more of what the Gorons have been up to, we get to see Link's Hammer Space in action again, Link gets a chance at being _mysterious_ , and Ganon gets to show off one of the things that the Triforce of Power does for him. We also get a return to some action, and your first look at what a Hollow is!

The Gorons worked with the proficiency of a people that were on Death's doorstep. Which, when Link thought about it, was in a way true. The main entrance to the mines, back next to the lift they had arrived in, was currently being analyzed by a small group of the large mountain people, each of them quietly rumbling to each other and some pointing out areas in the rubble that blocked the way into the mines. A larger group of Gorons were carefully but quickly rolling large barrels up the pathway; each barrel that Link could see was painted red with cross bones and a skull.

Link swallowed, nervous despite himself, and turned his attention to the task directly in front of him. Several clear bottles stood at attention on the cavern floor where he sat, each filled with a clear, orange-yellow liquid. As he cautiously corked each bottle and set them in his pouch (unfortunately right next to his bomb bag), a Goron approached with another armful of bottles, each also filled with the vibrant liquid.

"This is the last of them, Bruddah," the Goron said as he set them down, being sure not to spill the liquid.

Link nodded. "Thanks."

With a nod, the Goron turned and rolled back down the passage. The Hylian breathed deeply, reaching for the pile of corks at his side and doing a quick count. 'That makes...twenty-eight bottles.' He frowned, stoppering up the bottles. 'It didn't sound like there were too many Hollows in the mines, but with a Dark Being in there...'

He rubbed a hand across his face, taking just a moment to clench his eyes shut in frustration. 'Goddesses, I hope this works.'

_"We will see if we can get our archives sorted out and find the tablet we need to make the key, Link of Ordona," Gor Liggs promised, motioning to Gor Ebizo with his cane towards the massive pile of tablets, tomes, and urns on the other side of the large room. He gave a reassuring smile as he hobbled off slowly. "I am most sure we have it, Bruddah, but it will take time to find."_

_Link nodded. "Thank you." He turned to Cor Coron. "Perhaps we can focus on your problem in the meantime?"_

_Coron, who was mostly quiet up to this point in the conversation – he had mentioned briefly that he hadn't paid much attention to such old things in history and most likely wouldn't be much help concerning the Gate Key – gave the Hylian a grateful smile. "Young friend, it means much to us that you would offer us, our too prideful selves, aid."_

_"He can't very well turn a blind eye to someone he could help," Ganon offered from his place at the stone table. "And, as a Bearer, he might be one of the only ones able to aid you."_

_Coron narrowed his eyes at the reclined man, but turned back to Link. "You have said that Coringa has explained everything?"_

_"Yes. He explained that you've closed off the mine, to keep the Dark Being in."_

_"We could think of nothing else," Coron said, leaning forward over the table with large arms braced. "Have you any thoughts?"_

_Link chanced a glance at Ganon, but the Gerudo simply just sat and watched with an almost bored expression, eyes half lidded and arms crossed over the front of his dark tunic, scarf discarded in the humid room. A flash of irritation rose, but he quelled it down, remembering the short conversation not twenty minutes ago outside of the Hidden Caverns. 'He'll contribute if he thinks he has anything to add._

_'...I think.'_

_"Is the Dark Being still in the mines?"_

_Coron nodded. "Yes. There have been noises coming from the mines – our machinery is loud, and echoes throughout the entire mountain."_

_"Machinery?" Ganon questioned. "Like the lift?"_

_The Goron chief narrowed his eyes at Ganon again, heaving a breath that had steam billowing from his nostrils. "Yes, like the lift."_

_Ganon leaned forward, eyes alight with interest. "What would you need 'electricity' in the mines for?" he asked._

_Coron pursed his lips, white tattos standing out on his head. For a moment, he didn't answer, and Link almost opened his mouth to tell off Ganon for somehow angering the Goron chief, but then Coron answered. "It is for the ease of transport, like the lift, but more for moving the precious metals out and the explosives in safely. We Gorons may be a hardy people, Lord Ganondorf, but accidents do happen. And the lava in the mines makes it difficult to avoid them."_

_The Gerudo King hummed, resting a hand over his mouth as he thought, and Link blinked. "There's lava in the mines?"_

_Coron shifted his gaze back to the Hylian. "Yes," he said, sounding amused. "Death Mountain is a volcano, Bruddah."_

_Even Ganon shot him an amused look, but Link ignored the two leaders at the table with him in favor of his own thoughts. The last time that Link had been to the mountain, Coron had mentioned something about the mines being temporarily shut down because of the war. More Gorons were needed to defend their homelands, but since so many of the Gorons going out to fight were miners, then it just wasn't safe for anyone to work in there. Aside from that tiny bit of information, Link had known next to nothing about the mines._

_Certainly not that the Mountain's lifeblood ran through them._

_'What was it that Tor Coringa had said?' he thought, thinking back to an hour ago.'They send their fallen off by dousing them in oil and throwing them into the heart of the Mountain...?' Yes, that sounded right. His mind worked furiously. 'And it was...Bomb Flower Oil specifically. Otherwise the Goron body wouldn't burn...'_

_And then Link thought of the Pits._

_"Cor Coron," Link started slowly, brow still furrowed as his idea formed in his head. "Do you have a map of the mines?"_

_Ganon's not-quite-hidden grin turned into a thoughtful frown as Coron's eyes lit up in hope. "Yes, Young friend," he said, signaling to one of the Goron's guarding the entrance to the room. The Goron on the right nodded and lumbered off. In a few long moments the Goron returned, a large sheet of parchment rolled up in his hands._

_"Thank you," Link said as he accepted the map, and then swiftly unraveled the sheet onto the stone table. He leaned over it, blue eyes studying the dark lines and reading over the notes scrawled in blocky letters over rooms and tunnels. He glanced up at Coron. "Is this map accurate?"_

_Coron needed only a moment to study the map before he nodded. "Yes, Link of Ordona. One of my duties is to do routine checks over the mines, and my last one was only days before we closed them for the war."_

_Link stared at the map for another moment, eyes tracing the pathways. He raised a hand to the parchment. "And these," he pointed out three spots, "are the only ways in and out of the mines?"_

_"...Yes, all of which have been blocked off," Coron answered, rubbing a large hand across his chin in thought as he studied the Hylian. "What are you thoughts?"_

_"I..." He licked his lips, the idea growing as his eyes took in the map – it wasn't sane, not a single bit of it – and he forced his right hand to not twitch towards his left. "I think I know how to take care of the problem. It's just..."_

_Coron leaned forward, expression pleading. "Anything, Bruddah, to get rid of the Dark Being in my people's mines," he said. "You have only to ask."_

_A glance at Ganon next to him showed the man with a frown on his face, brow furrowed as he watched Link with curious glint to his eyes. He held eye contact with the man, asking without speaking if the King was alright with Link offering his assistance – he acknowledged that they had their own mission to complete and that time was of the essence, but the Gorons were mourning, mourning and actually asking for help. 'I can't just...leave these people here like this.' Ganon tilted his head to the side a bit, gold eyes narrowing a split second before his lips twitched and he gave the barest of nods._

_Link released a breath he didn't know he was holding. Knowing that Ganon wasn't going to fight him on this was a weight off his shoulders._

_That, however, left him to actually carry out his crazy plan._

_"Cor Coron," Link started, gulping down a somewhat hysterical laugh as he stood straight to look the chief in the eyes, "I need you to let me in the mines and then destroy all the exits."_

"I know you've told the Chief and I many times already that you have a plan, but exactly how are you planning on getting yourself out of the mines if all the exits are destroyed?"

Link jerked, hands fumbling with the bottle he was attempting to stopper and barely managing to catch it again before he dropped it on the stone below him, or worse – on him. He glared up at the one who startled him. "Please don't sneak up on me while I'm handling oils, Ganon," he hissed.

Ganon merely raised a brow at him, mouth ticking up in the corner as if Link had said something hilarious as he crossed to stand in front of the seated man, leaning against the arch of the wall behind him. "No promises," he offered. "That doesn't answer my question."

Instead of answering, Link focused on making sure that the bottles in front of him were neatly stoppered. "Hopefully I'll only be a few hours, a day at most," he said, carefully setting another bottle into his pouch. "I'm sure that Cor Coron wouldn't mind if you stayed with the Gorons in their cavern. As soon as the Dark Being and the Hollows are taken care of," he held up another stoppered bottle for emphasis, "I'll be back."

'I'll probably have to climb the mountain again, though...'

A scoff came from above him, making Link blink. Ganon shook his head at the blond. "You aren't leaving me behind here with these people," the man stated, not a complaint but as a fact. "The chances of you surviving the trip through these mines will be much higher if you don't go alone."

"But – "

"The mines haven't been properly checked since before the start of the war, and with a number of Bulblins in there who knows what sorts of messes have been made." Ganon folded his arms. "I'm not letting you out of my sight just so you can fall into a pit of molten lava, Link."

The King did have a point, Link grudgingly admitted to himself. "It is help enough that you're going with me into Mathius, Ganon, but I can't ask you to – "

"I told you a few days ago, Link, that I would not separate the Pieces unless it was absolutely necessary," Ganon interrupted again. "And certainly not with a Dark Being involved." He frowned. "The fact that just one of these things can send an entire mountain fleeing is...disquieting. And there is the question of why. For what reason do these Dark Beings have for stealing the mines from the Gorons?"

Link pursed his lips in thought. "...I don't know."

Ganon watched Link work for a moment, quiet. And then he snorted into a hand. "Perhaps now you won't need to carry so many pouches for those bottles, Link."

The Hylian paused, hand in the process of reaching for the next bottle in front of him. His brow furrowed in confusion. "What?"

Ganon took a few steps forward and knelt down in front of the collection of oil. "You can't possibly think that all of these will fit into the small bag of yours, do you?" he asked with a grin. "There are – how many was it – twenty-eight of these bottles. You're going to need at least five pouches - at least."

Link raised an incredulous brow and snatched up another cork and bottle. "I have absolutely no clue what you're talking about," he stated, twisting the cork into place and then putting the bottle away. "I've carried a lot more than this with this pouch of mine – the only thing I'm worried about it whether or not them being next to my bomb bag is going to be a problem."

Ganon's grin faltered, and, for some reason Link couldn't fathom, became slightly alarmed. "I...how many bottles have you fit in there?"

"Er, I think the largest number of bottles I've carried was fifty-two, but that was before I started carrying my bow in there as well," Link answered, thinking back to when he had first joined the war and was tasked with carrying a shipment of red potions to a contingent of men out on the plains.

"...Your bow?" Ganon seemed to have difficulty wrapping his head around what Link had told him, but for the life of him Link couldn't understand why.

A short time later, after Ganon had stopped questioning Link about his pouch and had taken a few bottles to add to his own inventory, a Goron had approached the two. He looked nervous, steam coming from his nose in unsteady puffs, and gestured toward the caved-in entrance to the mines. "Bruddah, we are ready when you are."

They each nodded in understanding and stood, taking their respective bags and tying them back into place. Ganon went on ahead towards the entrance to the mines as Link fought with his pouch straps, and Coron lumbered from his spot over-seeing the proceeding to the Hylian.

"Are you sure about this?" Coron asked as he approached, voice a low rumble.

Link spared him a glance as he finally managed to loop his pouches straps and checked their strength. "Yes, I'm sure," he said. "Getting the Key may take some time – I would rather use my time waiting by helping your people."

"Bruddah," Coron smiled, but the upwards lift of his mouth was hard, "Thank you, but that was not what I meant." He leaned in close, voice dropping lower, and nodded his head toward Link's companion. "Are you sure about him?"

He tightened the straps one more time and dropped his hands with a frown. 'Ganon?' He turned his head to look at the Gerudo, contemplating the question. "I'm...not quite sure what you mean, Cor Coron," he admitted. He turned back to the chief. "He is certainly frustrating, yes, but thus far he's done more for the sake of Hyrule than he originally pledged to. I can't fault him for that, but..."

Coron hummed at Link's words, but didn't appear appeased. "We Gorons have long lives, Link of Ordona," he said. "Our people have seen many kings rise and fall, many kings like him. I will trust you if you say that he is to be trusted, but I will also ask that you trust him cautiously."

_"Does he make you uncomfortable?" Rusl asked in all seriousness. Link gave him an odd look._

_"No, should he?" he asked, confused._

Link simply gave a short bow of his head to show Coron he heard what the Goron had said, but his mind drifted inwards. 'Why does it seem,' he thought, right hand tracing familiar lines over the back of his left, 'like everyone is trying to warn me away from him?'

"Link!"

He jumped, turning to face Ganon. The man was turned toward the mine entrance, facing back to wave at the Hylian. "Hurry – this was your plan, now put it into action."

With a scowl Link wiped away the conversation and his train of thought from his mind and started toward the entrance, noting briefly that Coron was just a step behind him. 'Perhaps frustrating isn't the proper word to use,' he thought as he grit his teeth. 'Irritating, more like.'

As he drew closer, Coringa waved him down. "Bruddah!" he called. "Over here! It will be much safer for you and Lord Ganondorf away from the blast."

'It seems as everyone but me knew that Ganon would be joining me into the mines...'

Link offered the large Goron a short smile and veered in his direction, tapping Ganon on the arm as he passed and gesturing towards Coringa. They approached together, Link taking note of the Gorons setting up the last of the lines around the mine entrance, and the miner in front of them greeted them with suspiciously wet eyes. "Before you go in, I just wanted to let you know that I am grateful to you for doing this," Coringa said.

"I understand, Tor Coringa," Link murmured. He lifted a hand to rest on a massive shoulder, squeezing the warm, rough skin. "These are you brothers, and as you have named me one I will do what I can to lay them to rest."

Coringa sniffed, and a large hand came up to briefly rest atop Link's. Then he nodded and stepped back. "If you will stand behind me," he said, pointing to the space just behind him, where some boulders had been moved to create something of a barrier. "My Bruddahs are certain that the blast will be contained, but there is always chance for miscalculation. I am to make sure that if something goes wrong that you are not hit with any of the debris."

"Then you have my thanks, Tor Coringa," Ganon said, stepping behind the boulders and crouching down.

Link gave Coringa one last smile and stepped over to kneel next to the Gerudo, mind focusing on the task ahead. He took a deep breath, held it for a moment, then released it slowly. His Piece simmered on the back of his hand, and he ignored the urge to rub at the lines and instead met Ganon's eyes. "Are you ready, Lord Ganon?" he asked quietly. With a contingent of Bulblins, a group of Goron Hollows, and a Dark Being in the mines, the plan was made to where they were to only keep the entrance clear for a few seconds – just enough time for Link to dash in – before sealing it shut again.

Ganon's gold eyes flashed in the dim light as he smirked. "Are you?"

Link simply straightened his shoulders and shifted his feet, turning his gaze toward the mine. The Gorons were moving a respectable distance away, a few of them even curling up and rolling further down the large corridor. Coron swept his gaze over the Gorons present one last time before nodding and stepping back, and a smaller group of Gorons pulled a torch up and held it to a long, thick cord that trailed back to the many lines and barrels placed around the entrance. With a hiss the cord was lit, and everyone in the room unconsciously took a step back.

"Three."

Link gripped a hand on his sword strap across his chest, nervous.

"Two."

Ganon braced both hands on the boulder in front of him, waiting.

"One."

Boom.

The explosion rocked the hall, smaller rocks and pebbles flying in all directions as dust erupted into existence. The Gorons that were standing had all been pushed back by the wave of energy let off, and as Link's ear went numb with silence from the sheer volume of the blast he kicked up, barreled over the boulder in front of him and forced himself to move. He barely noticed Ganon right behind him, only noticed the hazy entrance that stood before him, clear of large boulders that obstructed his way and a few Gorons hurriedly rolling another couple of barrels forward, only noticed when he crossed the threshold and was swept into a blaze of heat and humid air.

Link had hardly set his sights on the pool of lava a few yards ahead of him when another wave of force pushed into him from behind, shoving him forward. His instincts screamed and he rolled, rolled again with the forward momentum. Another roll and he stopped, covered in dust and panting, ears ringing and clothes already sticky from the warmth of the large room.

He took a moment to breathe, crouching there with a knee on the ground and foot planted, trying to will his ears to work again as he looked around, seeing Ganon in a similar position just to the side. A grimace later and slowly he was able to distinguish a subtle popping coming from the lava pool in front of him. "Are you alright?"

Ganon appeared to take a moment to gather his bearings, mouth twisted in a grimace as well. "...Just fine." He shook his head, probably to clear his hearing, and glanced around the room. "You?"

"Yeah." Link took another moment and stood with a grunt, taking in the stuttered walk-way further in and the long lines of machinery hanging suspended from the lava. "We should get moving – if anything was close they will be moving this way soon."

Ganon stood, brushing dust from his tunic and pants. "Agreed."

* ~ _ ~ * ~ _ ~ *

"Alright, let's see here..." Link pulled the copy of the mines that Coron had lent him from the front of his tunic, carefully unfolding and holding it so that it caught the light from the lava. The two of them had, thus far, come across nothing more deadly that a Fire Bat (Ganon mentioned shortly that perhaps since the mines had closed the bats had taken free reign of the caverns to nest) and several twists and turns that led to dead-ends. The room they were currently in was one of them. He frowned at the map. "From what I can tell, there should be a door in this room, but..."

There wasn't one.

Ganon walked forward, hand coming up to rub at his chin in thought as he took in their surroundings. Ahead of him was a wall, large and white and with the markings of the Goron Tribe on the face. He stared at it for a moment, then looked down to where the wall met with the floor. "Hmm..."

Link glanced up from where he was staring intently at the map. "What is it?"

"This wall," Ganon started, kneeling so that he could brush his fingers on the floor, "moves." He stood again, head turning towards where the wall ended at the edge of another pool of lava. "There are markings on the ground here. Scuff marks. Meaning that this wall should be able to move."

Link blinked. "...Why?"

Ganon snorted as he walked closer to the edge. "I didn't design the place, Link, I'm just tell you what I see." At the edge, he carefully leaned forward, bracing himself on the odd white wall to peer behind it. After a moment, he hummed and stepped back. "But, from what I can guess, it seems that they were attempting to have a way to organize how they separated certain materials. The other side is full of piles of raw metals."

Link whistled. "They really did just close everything down for the war," he muttered to himself, putting his map back into his tunic and stepping closer to Ganon. "Did you see a door?"

"No," Ganon said, but pointed towards the lava pool. "But I did notice that there was a ridiculously large chain attached to the wall."

Following Ganon's finger Link saw what he meant: a few feet into the pool of lava was another small island, a large chain dragging from the side of the wall, into the pool, and back up onto the island. The chain seemed to be unaffected by the heat. A moment of silence passed, and Link looked side-eyed at Ganon. "...You don't think...?"

Ganon shrugged. "One way to find out." He turned toward Link, raising an open palm in invitation. "I'm sure you are a capable jumper?"

Link huffed, but took a step back. He drew in a breath, then pushed himself into a short sprint before leaping. For a moment, the heat of the pool beneath his airborne form seemed to be entirely too close, but a moment later he landed on the island. He bounced forward a few steps, letting the forward motion run it's course before he turned, offering Ganon a nod and then looking at the other side of the wall.

The King hadn't been exaggerating – piles and piles of raw materials were stacked in no particular order. Darker metals, lighter metals, some that gleamed in the light and some that were dark no matter how close to the pool they were. There were even small piles of gems, uncut and looking vaguely like simply gem-colored rocks than the sort of things that the women in Castle Town paid unholy amounts of Rupees to wear on their ears or necks. Everything was heaped high, the occasional pile towering up towards the stalactites in the cavern while others seemed to have grown high and then shifted, falling sideways into other materials and metals.

"That...looks like a mess," Link said. "I'm going to see if there's a door."

Another jump later and he was carefully climbing over the smaller piles, feeling like one of the characters in Ilia's fairy-tale stories. He vaguely heard the sound of Ganon making his own leap over onto the island, but but hearing anything resembling a splash or a plop he didn't bother turning around. Instead he focused on where the far wall of the room, seeing a slip where it looked like the white wall might have once rested against. As he got closer he peered into the slip, letting loose a breath of relief as he saw what looked like a large, Goron-sized door behind the wall. He turned back to face Ganon. "I found the door," he called. "But I think we might need to move the wall – there isn't enough room to get to it."

Ganon grimaced as he looked down at the chains at his feet, but bent down to pick them up. "If need's must," he called back, and then shifted his weight and pulled.

The Hylain startled, knocking a few stones from their place in the pile he was standing on. "Wait, it might be too heavy by yourself – " he started, but quickly cut himself off.

The wall was moving.

He gaped, blinking in astonishment as Ganon heaved, taking a step back as he pulled, and the wall move back with him. "It seems," the man panted, face lined with exertion, "that having the Piece of Power is good for some things."

Link could only stare. While it was true that he himself could sumo with the best of the Gorons and stop one of the large beings in their tracks, he did so with the aid of his Iron Boots. They were a gift from Mayor Bo just half a year earlier, given to him to help him in his dealings with the Goron people. The boots helped him keep his ground when dealing with large forces, and occasionally helped him when he needed to pull on something when he's regular boots wouldn't give him the traction he need to dig his feet in and haul, but...

'Damn, he's strong.'

Just as the thought ran across him mind he suddenly lurched, the pile he was on moving with the added space that opened up. He yelped, hands scrabbling for purchase, but ended up toppling backwards into the new space. He grunted as he landed, laying there for a moment as he got his bearings, before snapping back up when abruptly it seemed as every single pile on his side of the wall shifted. He could only watch with a wince as the towering stacks wobbled and fell, much of the materials and metals landing and rolling with a crash and some even rolling into the lava pool, slipping below the molten depths with loud sploops.

The noise lasted for several seconds, and it wasn't until the last gem that fell into the pool went with a plunk that Link dared to breathe. He moved from his spot and carefully climbed out of the space he fell in, looking towards the island.

Ganon had frozen in place, arms stretched out in front of him with the weight of the chain, eyes wide and lips pressed together as he took in the mess.

Link cleared his throat. "I, uh, think this is good."

At that, Ganon let loose a quick chuckle and carefully released the chain. The wall shifted when he let go, but other than a few lumps of iron moving the wall didn't go anywhere. "Seems so."

Another few moments later and Ganon was climbing his way over the mess, somehow seeming to do so with more grace than Link felt he had done with. As he neared, the Gerudo quirked his lips at him, hoping down from the pile. He reached out a hand, straightening Link's hat that had gone lop-sided with his tumble. "With the fuss you raised back in my Fortress about your hat," he said with a grin, stepping around the blond and toward the door, "I would think you would make sure it at least stay on your head, Link."

Link rolled his eyes. Lifting a hand and making sure the hat was secure, he followed the man.

The door opened into a wide, open space, the moon shining down through the opening above them onto the large contraptions that loomed over everything. Link took everything in, impressed. Seeing the metal platforms that stretched out over the pit of lava far below them and the strange plates that hung from arches high above them, Link realized that simply 'using machines in the mines' was quite the understatement.

"What are these?" Ganon wondered, stepping forward to get a better look at the closest hanging plate.

Link shook his head, following. "I'm not sure, to be honest. Cor Coron said these were for...'ease of transportation?'" He leaned his head back to stare up at the plate, wondering at the strange blue material that covered the bottom of it. "Maybe they're for moving the metals?"

Ganon hummed in thought. "Hmm...perhaps..." he muttered to himself. "I wonder what that metal is...looks...like a magnet – "

"Hyaaaao!"

Link snapped his head to the side, hand quickly reaching up to rest on the hilt of the Master Sword. The platform they were on rattled intensely as a large form swiftly rolled towards them, its form brown and spiked with grey. It didn't stop, wasn't slowing down, and Link knew without a doubt that they needed to move.

"Ganon!"

He leapt at the man, tackling him against the railing in front of him just in time for the brown form to shoot past them, continuing on down the metal walkway. The railing groaned in protest to the sudden weight, Ganon grunting in surprise at Link's move, and he quickly shoved the Hylian back away so he could step away from the railing and draw his sword, eyes hard and mouth in a line. "Is that a – "

Link kept his hand on his sword hilt, not quite drawing it. "Hollow," he said shortly. His eyes followed the path the Goron Hollow was taking – around to another platform only to ride the curve of the railing to swing back around and head their way again. "It's coming back around. We need to stop it if we're going to try and hit it."

Ganon nodded, eyes also on the swiftly moving form. "Can you stop it like you did Tor Coringa?"

He grimaced. "Maybe." He hopped, landing with a shuddering clang as his Iron Boots fell into place in his shoes, and took a stance. The platform was rattling as the Hollow drew nearer. "I need you to be ready."

Ganon simply skittered backwards instead of answering, and Link didn't have any time to think if the Gerudo was ready or not, if he was ready or not, because at that moment the Goron was in front of him and he reacted. His hands slammed onto the large form, boots scraping on the metal beneath him as the force of its movements was suddenly halted. He grunted, arms trembling, and he pushed, boots scraping some more as he tightened his hold.

With a shout the Hollow was tossed to the side, and Link nearly followed after it, arms tingling with the released weight, and he hopped again, Iron boots slipping out of place. He raised a hand towards his sword, releasing the blade with a shiing from its sheath – and before he could finish swinging it down to his side Ganon was there, slinging a bottle filled with a clear, orange-yellow liquid at the stunned form.

The bottle smashed into pieces, bits of glass flying in all directions and the liquid sloothing over the Hollow. It grunted, almost seeming surprised, but Link knew better, knew for certain as the Goron turned grey-toned eyes onto him and the thing lumbered to its feet and let loose a deep, shuddering howl.

A dark blade struck out, catching the Hollow on its side, the blade sparking across rock-hard skin and Link lunged, following up Ganon's strike with a swing of his own, Master Blade singing as he brought the sword down and then up, slicing across the Hollow's stomach. Just like Ganon's blade it sparked and seemed to just bounce off, but the Hollow screeched, taking a staggering step backwards.

It raised an arm, large hand balling into a fist, and Link rolled sideways, not even bothering to draw his shield because he knew that if he was hit, that was it – Gorons could break boulders with a single hit – and the platform thundered as he fist struck it. Ganon danced around behind it, swinging his sword to the thing's side as it slowly stood back up, and it screeched again as his sword sparked and bounced again, turning towards the strike with another fist raised. Ganon ducked beneath it and stepped further to the side, and Link met his eyes.

"We need to drop him!"

Ganon chanced a glance down – through the rings of the flooring the glow of the lava far below them shined through – and he gave a short nod, ducking under another swing and taking a quick step to stand to Link's side. "The railing?"

Link darted forward, aiming for the Hollow's knee, and was rewarded with another screech. He flipped backwards when the Hollow swung a wild arm as it stepped back. "Seems unstable," he said, and out of the corner of his eyes he saw Ganon nod, gold eyes glinting in the far-off light of the volcano they stood in.

Together the two of them traded off dealing bloodless blows to the Hollow, the Goron's thick skin protecting it from the sharp edges, but with every strike dealt it stumble back, either not noticing its position or too far gone to know. Link couldn't tell – he never could, when he fought with Hollows – and when its back was finally with the railing just behind it, he leapt forward, using the move to slip his Iron Boot into place again and landed on one foot, letting his torso fall back and sideways to kick out with a too-heavy foot at the Hollow. The hit landed with a thud, and the Hollow was suddenly toppling backwards, the railing snapping with the weight.

Link rolled, hissing as the weight of his Iron Boots made it an awkward tumble, but watched through the floor as the Hollow fell, mouth open in a shriek of rage before suddenly it was engulfed in bright, burning liquid. He stared for a moment, panting, rising to his knees, and closed his eyes. "May the Goddesses grant you safe passage across the river," he whispered.

When he opened his eyes, he looked up at Ganon. The King was frowning at the floor – 'No, below that,' Link noticed – and his eyes looked troubled. After a beat of silence, the man raised his eyes from the pit below to Link's blue. "It must have heard the noise from the other room," Ganon guessed, voice low. He was quiet for a moment. "That was..."

He seemed to not know quite what to say, but Link nodded anyways. "Yes. It was."

With a sigh, Link stood, shifting his weight just enough for the Iron Boots to slip out of place again before turning towards the walkway on his left. Several yards ahead he could see another door, this one scraped and broken and the hinges bent. "We should get moving."

It was a moment before Ganon followed.

End Chapter Eight...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am actually kicking myself for trying to write something that requires so many fight scenes. Fight scenes are HARD.
> 
> More action to return in the next chapter, along with a healthy dipping of PLOT. :)


	9. Stalling for time

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have had. A very, very rough year so far. Like what the fuck it has been absolutely horrible. I literally busted my ass 2 hours into the year, 2 weeks later I contracted the flu, which in turn caused me to develop laryngitis the very next day, and the next day the flu turned into a full-blown case of pneumonia, a friend of mine had a _very_ significant loss which fucking gutting the life out of everything, I sprained my ankle the next week after that, a couple weeks later I caught a sinus infection that I still have, and last week a piece of equipment decided to move so that when I stood up I would brain myself on it. I currently have a concussion which isn't the worst but it's still pretty unpleasant. -_-;
> 
> So I haven't had a lot of time to write, unfortunately, which means I have. Uh. Ten words of chapter ten written. I really wanted to get chapter ten finished before posting this chapter, but I'm not so selfish I'll keep you guys waiting forever for what happens next.
> 
> THIS CHAPTER! Has bits and pieces of personal headcanons for things in the Zelda Verse, Ganon being frustrated at video game mechanics, and flashes of Link's backstory! Also, our first glimpse of what the fuck the Dark Beings are up to - and what they are.
> 
> Better be wearing your Big Kid Hats, everybody, this is gonna be a bumpy ride!

It was several hours and seven Hollows later that found Ganon and Link in the dusty remains of Gor Ebizo's chambers in the mines. From the look of things, it seemed that the Elder had taken what he thought he might've needed from the rooms at the start of the war a year ago; there were still a few personal effects, some notes about the progress in the mines, and other miscellaneous things were scattered about. All of it was covered in thick layers of ash and dust. The door to the room had been wedged shut, dust filling up the once smooth cracks, and the stone had groaned when Ganon had shoved the door to the side.

Link took the opportunity to mark off on the map, using one of the charcoal sticks left lying on Ebizo's desk in the corner. “Looks like the mines are almost cleared,” he yawned, marking off the large room that had led to Ebizo's chambers. He squinted at the map, brow scrunching as he leaned closer and tapping the charcoal against a cheek. Ganon smothered a snicker when the stick dropped away from the blond's face and left a dark grey smudge.

“We still haven't encountered a Dark Being,” Ganon said, stretching where he sat. Something along his spine gave a small _pop!_ and he sighed. He ran a hand through his hair, grimacing as his fingers grew slick with sweat. “And we have – last I counted – six bottles of that oil left.”

Another grimace danced across Ganon's face as he remember the Goron Hollow that had taken ten bottle of Bomb Flower Oil and a bomb down the throat to defeat. It had been at least three times the size of the average Goron, with sharp-cut rock formations along almost its entire body, making staggering the beast (because that was surely what it was) nearly impossible.

Link scowled at nothing in particular. “I know.” With a heavy gust of breath he tossed the charcoal stick onto a map and leaned back in his seat. “Plus, we haven't met with any Bulblins, either.”

Ganon hummed, closing his eyes for a moment. Despite being King, he wasn't a stranger to long days with difficult battles. The Gerudo had many enemies throughout the East, and it did well to warn away the soldiers of other countries when they saw that the Desert King was willing and able to plow through any barriers in his way. That was one of the reasons why the Gerudo hadn't had need of an army – why bother training a force when a King and a few of his sistesrs could put a stop to anything thrown their way?

But out in the East, towards the ocean and along familiar and foreign sands, Ganon had only fought men. Men, perhaps the occassional beast that needed to be tamed, and more men. Even in his dis-ordered and tainted memories, he rarely had need for anything more than his confidence and the sharp end of his sword when dealing with particularly pesky individuals. Namely a young, suddenly orphaned princess and a young Hero in green. Aside from them (aside from the memories of light piercing through his armor that was strengthened by darkness and the cold bite of a sword marked as Evil's Bane), he hadn't had to push himself. Hadn't had to use more than his instincts and reflexes born of training with his sisters.

Hadn't had to use the Power in his right hand in order to throw and enemy off him.

Ganon was exhausted. The push to get out of the mines to track down the Hylian Princess kept him going, as well as the knowledge that Link was aiming his strikes with the Master Sword at a common enemy instead of him. The fact that Link was finally showing signs of tiredness lifted his spirits some (the only time Ganon had seen the man truly tired was that short moment three days after he had met him in his Fortress), but only just.

“Perhaps the Hollows killed them off,” came Link's voice, and Ganon opened his eyes. He glanced at him, gold eyes taking in the lines of wavering energy along the Hylian's shoulders for a moment before shaking his head.

“I'm inclined to disagree,” he said. At Link's quizzical look, he hefted himself from his reclined position on the bench along the wall to lean forward and rest his elbows on his knees. “Except for that first Hollow, every other one has been down a tunnel, tearing at the walls. Digging for something. Correct me if I'm wrong, but a Hollow retains most of the skills of the original...person...before death, yes?”

“As...far as I can tell.”

Ganon nodded. “It seems to me as if the Hollows here are all miners.” He stood, crossing to where Link was sitting and bent down to look at the unrolled map. “There were only two cave-in that we came across.” He lifted a hand to point at where the cave-ins were. “And one of them Cor Coron had already marked out for us. Meaning, so far, for the past year there's only been one. Perhaps it was natural, perhaps not. But if the Goron Hollows have been down here digging this whole time, it stands to reason that they have the skills to know how to create more tunnels without the mountain falling down around them.

“So, with that being said, my question is this – what is it that the Dark Being is looking for?”  
Link's face grew troubled. “I'm not sure,” he answered slowly. He glanced back down to the map for a moment before picking up the charcoal again. He frowned down at the map. “That first Hollow was here,” he said, circling a small section.

“The next one was...” he trailed off for a moment before circling another section. “Here.”

Ganon watched as Link began marking the tunnels they had found the Hollows in, eyes narrowing in thought. With each new mark made, each small note of where the Hollows had been digging and where new tunnels had been created, something of a pattern stood out to him.

As the last mark was made, Ganon leaned over the parchment again. “Look,” he murmured. He raised his finer again, tracing a line through where Link had just marked. “Do you see this?”

Just remembering the location that were being dug up only brought confusion, butseeing them drawn up together was another thing entirely. Each Hollow, each tunnel, created something of a circle in the mines. It wasn't perfect, and each tunnel had several branch offs, but looking at everything from something of a bird's eye view made one thing perfectly clear – and brought up more questions.

“Why are they tunneling underneath this room?” Link asked, pointing at a large round room on the map further into the mines. There were no particular marking for the room, only a doorway and the blocky letters of a Goron's handwriting labeling it simply as 'Overseer Chamber'.

Ganon rubbed a hand over his chin, eyes glinting. “Don't know,” he said, standing upright and making his way over to his things. With short motions he had his small pack secured to his back and his sword re-tied to his side. “But something tells me that we might find answers if we go there.”

Link nodded, folding the map and slipping it back in his tunic. He stood with a grimace before reaching for his own things. Within moments he had his sword and shield slung over his shoulders and his pouch at his hip. Ganon gave the Hylian a once over.

“Ready?” he asked.

Link stretched his arms a bit, wincing as something pulled. “Yeah,” he said, lowering his arms to his sides and making his way over to the doors. “But you wouldn't happen to have any Red Potions, would you?”

“Why Link,” Ganon said slyly, “you spent all that time earlier asking for bottles of Bomb Flower Oil. Surely you had asked for a Red Potion as well?”

As blue eyes narrowed into an irritated glower, Ganon couldn't help the chuckle that escaped him.

* ~ _ ~ * ~ _ ~ *

After that conversation, of course, it seemed as anything else in the mines had gone into hiding.

That wasn't really a good thing, all things considered, but Link was hoping that meant that they'd taken care of all of the Hollows there were in the mines. The two of them decided that leaving the Overseer Chamber, whatever that room was, for last was the best decision and thus continued on clearing the rooms yet to be marked off the map. It was interesting to see the bare bones of the mines – the different areas set up for different things.

Though, there were a few rooms that neither of them could figure out the purpose of for the life of them. Ganon seemed almost enraged at the strange room with a pool of water at the bottom and magnetic platforms above it. “What is the purpose of this?” he had asked, waving a hand at the platforms that Link had accidentally triggered to start rotating. “Why would the Gorons need a raised, _rotating_ , magnetic platform in their mines? What could they _possibly_ use it for? It doesn't make sense!”

Link could only shrug, just as confused.

Ligg's chambers in the mines looked to be the most cleared out of all the elders' rooms. Barely anything other than a spare piece of parchment and lots of dust was in there, and aside from taking a brief moment to mark on the map and eat a few rations, they didn't bother staying in there. It was obvious the room hadn't been touched for a long time. Link couldn't see a single slip of evidence that anyone had walked through since the mines had shut down.

The locked cages with empty chests had been an interesting discovery, though not as interesting as the glowing gem that Link had found tucked into the corner of what seemed too-large of a chest. “What do you think this is?” he asked, holding it up to Ganon to see.

The man turned from where he'd been examining the mechanics of one of the locks, eyes caught in rolling. “Link, I don't know,” he said, exasperation in every word. “I don't know why the Gorons do or make half of what they do, that's what I have been saying – “

His voice cut off when his eyes landed on what Link had in his hand. The irritated furrow to his brow lifted instead to surprise, and he straightened from where he was to walk closer. “Oh. That's curious.”

Link cocked his head to the side. “What is? Is this gem important?” If so, why had the Gorons left it behind?

Ganon peered at it, finger tapping his chin in thought. He didn't say anything for a moment, but then an almost...ironic smile quirked across his lips. “That, Link, is a little marvel called a Piece of Heart.”

The words sounded almost...familiar, but for the life of him Link couldn't figure out why. He didn't think he had ever heard of a 'Piece of Heart'. He frowned, turning the little glowing oddity around so he could look at it. It didn't look anything like a heart. Not one of those strange 'hearts' that Ilia had taken to drawing all over her pictures as a child, nor like the ones Shad had in his anatomy journals. It was just... Well, Link guessed maybe it could be red like a heart was?

“Alright. But...what is it?”

Ganon huffed, amused. “A Piece of Heart is a curious little piece of Great Fairy magic,” he said, folding his arms. “It is actually a single part of a whole – in which the whole 'heart' is called simply a Heart Container. Five Pieces to a whole, though occassionally there are some Pieces big enough to be four to a whole.” He pointed at the little glowing gem. “While not being a whole Container, the Piece you have there is more than enough to not only restore any lagging energy but will also heal any wounds you have. A whole Container does not only that but also grants the person who swallows it added endurance for the rest of their lives.”

“I'm sorry, did you say ” Link asked, incredulous.

Ganon raised a brow at him. “Yes. Swallow.” He grinned. “How else did you think a Piece would work, Link?”

Link grimaced, looking down at the gem. “But it looks made of glass.”

Ganon scoffed. “It isn't actually made of glass. Nothing made from Great Fairy magic is truly corporeal.”

True. Link contemplated the Piece of Heart in his hand, turning it over and over to watch the light filter through the glass-like gem. It was so strange, to think things like this existed in the world. 'Then again, you do have the Triforce currently sealed into your very hand,' he reminded himself. He hummed, holding it up to the dim light of the room. The fire caught through the Piece's middle, turning brighter for just a moment -

_“As a gift, my Champion, take this,” she whispered into his ear as he lay there gasping. He could barely hear her, blood rushing too loud in his ears and wounds screaming at him from every inch of his being._

_“Wh-what are you...” was all Link managed to get out before he choked on his own breath. No, not his breath, he realized, a wet feeling trickling in his mouth. Blood. He rolled the tiniest bit, eyes squeezed shut against the wild pain of the small action. The clear water of the Spring was freezing against him where he lay in the shallows. He was already so cold._

_“Hush now. Open your eyes, my Champion, and accept a this gift that my first beings created for you.” A warm, familiar hand brushed the sweat and blood covered bangs from his face, and that gentle touch – so comforting, and yet so terrifying – was enough for Link to force his eyes open just a sliver. She met his eyes, beautiful green, all the shades of summer and spring swirling in Her irises, and smiled. The smile calmed something in Link, and the calm almost made him miss the flash of something glowing a bright red being brought to his mouth._

_The blood he was choking on seemed to disappear as whatever the glowing red seemed to just flow into him. He gasped as breathing suddenly became easy, eyes snapping open all the way and back arching in Her hold, the sensation of pain flooding impossibly bright for just a moment before simply...disappearing. Every cut, every burn was suddenly gone, healed, never there – Link wasn't sure. He shivered, eyes wide and unable to look away from Her._

_“My Champion,” she whispered at him lovingly, “your quest is only now just beginning.”_

_Link wanted to cry. Her love, while beautiful and pure and warm, hurt like nothing else._

“You should probably go ahead and swallow it.”

Link jerked, snapping his head up to stare at Ganon. “What?”

Ganon narrowed his eyes at him, and Link did his best not to fidget. “The Piece of Heart. Since we're running low on potions, you should probably go ahead and swallow it. At least to restore some of your energy.”

Link looked at the Piece again, sitting innocently in his palm. He pressed his lips together, doing his best to shove back the memory (the end of the beginning), and shook his head. “No. I'll be fine without it,” he said and held it out towards the other man. After all, if Link took it, there was a chance that his way out might not work. “You can have it.”

That seemed to pull Ganon up short. The Gerudo almost looked shocked. “I. Truly?” he asked. “You're not going to take it? I could have sworn – ”

Whatever he was going to say, though, was cut off from a loud _boom_ that shook the dust from every corner of the room. Link shoved the Piece into his pouch and stood fully, making straight for the door, Ganon on his heels. The explosion had been close, that much he was sure, and if Link was remembering the map correctly, it had come from the open-air area back near where the path towards the Overseer Chamber lay.

“What do you think that was?” Link asked, voiced hushed as the two of them hurried as quietly as they could towards where the noise had come from.

“Not sure,” Ganon answered back, just as quiet. His hand was already resting on the hilt of his sword, ready to draw at a moment's notice. As the two of them approached the door leading out, he said, “But something tells me that we'll soon find out.”

Link nodded, pausing for to take a steadying breath before pushing the door open.

The scent of smoke still hung in the air as they both stepped cautiously out, looking around the wooden walkways and abandoned stacks of crates ready for shipment. The sky was dark above them aside from the moon hanging just beyond the edge of the opening above them and the stars in the sky, the water below the walkways rippling with the small breeze and what Link guessed to be the pulse of lava just below. Nothing stood out, exactly, but the unease Link felt grew stronger the longer they looked across the expanse in front of them.

He took a few steps away from the door, hand itching to hold the Master Sword. “I'm sure the noise came from – “

A bright flicker of light was his only warning before a flaming arrow sunk into the boards just behind where Link's head had been not a half-second ago, and when the crate began to slowly burn as Link dove for better cover, several cries rang out around them. Not even a full second later more arrows rained down around him, each of them tipped in fire, and Link had to press close to his cover in order to not be struck by one of the falling arrows.

“Well, it seems we found those Bulblins that your Goron friends had mentioned,” he heard Ganon say. He glanced over, seeing that the larger man was crouched low behind a small stack of crates, just barely big enough to provide him protection. The man was peering sharply just around the edge to stare at where the arrows were coming from. “Or, more accurately, they found us.”

Link grimaced and carefully shifted to look. Several Bulblins were on the stone pathway that led towards the Overseer Chamber. Convenient. Each of them held a short bow in their hands and were notching arrows quickly to continue the volley. “Do you think they know what we're doing?”

Ganon looked over at Link. “Perhaps. It's not like our battles with the Hollows have been exactly quiet, per-say.”

“Great.” Link thought furiously over what to do, ducking down just a little further as yet another volley rained down. The crates he was hiding behind were slowly burning more and more, and if Link and Ganon didn't move soon it wouldn't matter that the arrows weren't hitting them. “Do you have a bow, Ganon?”

Ganon shot him an irritated expression. “Link, does it look like I have a bow with me?” he snapped.

“I wasn't sure – “

“ _No_ , I do not have a bow. Where would I – “ Ganon cut himself off with a huff, wincing away from the heat of the flames and getting closer to the metal of the platform they were on. “Never mind. What did you have in mind?” 

He glanced around, biting his lip. The platform they were on wasn't wide, and it didn't have much in the way of railing as it continued into a walkway. Crates were stacked along the sides and corners of the various branch-offs of the walkway, attaching the many doorways around the area that were separated by the water below them. If the water wasn't that deep, then Link would feel safe just dropping some crates into the water and using that as both cover and protection from the fire to pick off the Bulblins one at a time with return fire. But the water was deep.

'What do we do?' he wondered. Everywhere he looked, it was crates, the walkways, thick netting draped over the sides of the walkways – 'Wait!'

“Ganon, by the Bulblins, is there netting draped over the side of the pathway they're on?” Link asked quickly.

Ganon took only a moment to look, ducking out of the way as an arrow came flying directly for his face. “Yes, but what does that – “

“Does the netting fall all the way to the water?”

“Yes, but – “

“How's you're swimming?”

Ganon shot him an irritated look, confused, but after a moment his brows shot up and he grinned, something almost feral. “Ah. Just because I am a King of the Desert doesn't mean I don't know how to swim,” he said in answer. He nodded at Link, hands moving to quickly tighten the belt keeping his sword on his hip and shrugging off his pack, which he tossed to the Hylian. “I hope your state of exhaustion doesn't cause your aim to falter.”

Link snorted. “I've fought in worse conditions,” he said, pulling his bow from his back and an few arrows from his quiver. He'd need to be quick and keep an eye on both the Bulblins and where Ganon was. “Ready?”

“Always.”

Link nodded, taking a deep breath, and darted from his cover. With swift movements he notched an arrow and let it fly for the first Bulblin he could see, and as soon as the arrow was gone from the string he set another, darting for another stack of crates and shooting the arrow before he was hidden again. He could hear a Bulblin giving a cry of pain just as a splash was heard below him. There was a shout, followed by yelling, and Link plastered himself as flat as he could to his cover to avoid the new volley of flaming arrows.

'They can't shoot too fast, not while they're using fire.' Link took a deep breath, preparing his bow with an arrow, and stood quickly. His arrow flew, striking one Bulblin pulling back its bowstring – it let out a sharp noise, dropping the arrow it had been readying, and then danced back in surprise as the flames at the arrow's tip sparked at its feet. Link shot another arrow, then another, stepping quickly backward the whole while, and only when a third arrow was flying did he dash to another stack of crates.

The Bulblins were shouting at each other. Link wasn't entirely sure what they were saying – he'd never learned much of the Blin language and honestly he never planned to – but he was pretty sure they were cursing at him. He fought a tired grin and let his eyes dart through the rings of metal below him, watching as Ganon swam in the dark shadows the moonlight cast.

The walkway rattled as he darted out of cover again, another arrow flying and hitting a Bulblin that looked to be frantically pointing out across at him. Better at him than at Ganon. The Bulblin fell, keeling right over the side of the stone pathway and into the water below – the Bulblins behind him shouted in alarm, and as one of them stepped forward to where the fallen one had been, another arrow sunk into its neck with a dull sound Link could hear even from where he stood.

That one fell as well, and the Bulblins started frantically trying to light and fire back. He ducked, rolling further up the platform to keep a better eye on the water below, and shot off another quick succession, each one hitting and each one bringing another one down. Still not enough, though.

Link focused on making sure to keep the Bulblins away from the edge – sometimes needing to aim just beside or close to them instead of at them. 'Just have to keep it up a little longer,' he thought, crouching quickly to hide from a fresh volley. He peered carefully around the edge of the crates, watching the Bulblins scramble for more fire. 'He's almost – 

'There!'

Ganon's form finally reached the top of the netting along the side of the stone pathway, heaving himself in a swift move up and over and to standing. The Gerudo didn't give the Bulblins any time to think, dashing forward as he drew his sword with a _shing_ , and the Bulblin closest to him was down almost immediately to a slash across its torso. Ganon wasted no time, closing in on the panicking creatures who tried to turn their attention to the new, much closer threat, most of them drawing their swords – perfectly opening them up to Link's arrows.

From there the fight was almost too easy. With the Bulblin's attention unexpectedly split between Link returning fire and Ganon slicing through their ranks with practiced, fluid motions, within seconds it was over. The last Bulblin gurgled as Ganon cut it down, dropping like a stone, and with that Link relaxed.

“That's the last of them,” he said, leaning against a crate for a moment before straightening. Link put his bow back into place and started up the single walkway going towards where Ganon now stood, the man methodically wiping the dark blood of the Bulblins away from his sword. Link sniffed, grimacing at the pile of bodies around them. “And hopefully there aren't more hiding somewhere else in the mines ahead.”

Ganon nodded, sheathing his blade. “If there are, we'll be sure to take care of them.” He frowned down at his clothes, which were still dripping water from his swim. “And hopefully we'll be done with this soon. I'd like to _not_ be soaking wet for the rest of this quest through the mines.”

“Unfortunately, it'll probably be a little longer,” Link said, bending down to grab an arm of one of the bodies. With a grunt he straightened again, walking towards a clear spot on the pathway. Luckily, the whole of it was made of stone. “First we'll have to take care of these. It won't do us any favors if we continue on only for the Dark Being to call them back from the dead to fight us again.”

“...Surely you jest.”

Link dropped the body in the clear spot then turned to go pick up another body. “No. Dark Beings don't care about who they use their Necromancy on.” He grunted with the weight of another Bulblin and rose a brow at Ganon. “Unless you want to fight these creatures again later, then we'll need to burn their bodies.”

Ganon expression twisted with disgust. “...Not particularly.” With what sounded like a muttered prayer to the Goddesses, he sighed and bent to help Link pile the dead together.

The two of them working together made the job go by quickly. Link wasn't too happy about needing to use two bottles of the Bomb Flower Oil on the pile; they still weren't entirely sure if there were any more Hollows left in the mines. But getting the pile to burn when a proper pit couldn't be made was important. The smell was awful, as it always was, and Link was more than happy to start off down the path, if only to get away from the stench.

“Here is your pack back, by the way,” Link said, holding the pack Ganon had tossed him earlier back to the man. Ganon took it with a nod.

“I'm glad you didn't drop it while running about earlier,” Ganon said as he slung it back over his shoulder. “I certainly don't need all of my belongings to be wet.”

'Would it kill this man to just say thank you every once in a while?' Link kept his grumbling to himself, simply trudging further ahead. He could swear that the man was laughing behind him. He turned the corner on the path, looking across what seemed to be a large metal door turned into a bridge across a large crevice. Just from where they were Link could feel the heat of more lava, the almost bitter, acidic humidity rough on his skin.

The Bulblins were blocking the only path leading to the Overseer Chamber. Maybe it was coincidence, but Link had a feeling that wasn't the case. With the way the Hollows had been digging their tunnels and the fact that they had yet to encounter the Dark Being that had turned the dead Gorons into Hollows in the first place, Link just knew there was something much worse than a group of Bulblins waiting to ambush them with an endless volley of arrows.

For all the good the ambush was, anyway. If the Bulblins knew that the two of them would be making their way to the Overseer Chamber, why would they bother setting off an explosion to send them running towards them? Sure, it got them into the desired location for the ambush, but it had also put Link and Ganon on edge. The two of them knew they were walking into something, and while they hadn't known exactly what, that was more than enough. Aside from being pinned down by the first waves of flames, the two of them had managed that short battle quickly and effeciently.

So why? Why bother drawing them out at all?

As the two of them crossed over the large door and back into the oppressive heat of the inner mines, Link frowned. The scent was harder to catch, what with the humidity and sheer heat around them, but honestly...the smell of gunpowder and smoke was stronger the further in they went..

“Ganon,” Link began, but the Gerudo didn't let him finish.

“Yes, I smell it, too.” A contemplative expression was on the man's face, lips pressed into a thin line as he looked further down the path. “I'm starting to think perhaps that explosion we'd heard earlier wasn't to draw our attention.”

“Meaning that the Bulblins weren't planning an ambush...”

“They might have been stalling for time.”

Ganon hummed. “But time for what?” he wondered. He brow was furrowed as he thought, the jewel on his forehead dipping down with the expression. “What is the Dark Being in here up to?”

Link didn't have an answer, choosing instead to walk further in.

Deeper in it seemed the pathway led not to more tunnels that the Gorons were digging through but something more _prestigious_. That was the only word Link could think of to desccribe the way the path seemed to wind and open up to what looked like an elaborate stairwell, each side banked by twin rivers of slowly bubbling lava that dripped into almost elegant pools. He never thought that he would think of lava pools as anything elegant, but that's definitely what they were. The stairwell led upwards to a large door, round and intricately carved with what seemed to be a variation of the Goron language.

Ganon's thoughful frown only deepened at the sight of it, tension lining his shoulders the longer he looked at it. Link gave him a quizzical look. “What's wrong?” he asked, and gold eyes darted over to him for a moment before fixing on the door again.

“It's been a long, long time since I have laid eyes on the Ancient Goron Script,” he said, hand wandering to the hilt of his sword. “I'm not usually one to put much merit into things like omens or luck, but for seeing this...”

“Ancient Goron Script is bad luck for the Gerudo?” Link asked, bewildered, but Ganon shook his head.

“No. It's more the warning written in it,” Ganon said. The Hylian turned confused eyes on the script, trying to make heads or tails of it. His education wasn't much – just that of a farm-hand, and whatever he managed to pick up after he'd joined the war efforts – but the blocky lettering going around the circumference of the door above them looked not too different from the little he knew of the average Goron language.

“What does it say?” he asked.

“It says,” Ganon started. He paused to take a deep breath, drawing his sword. “'Take heed, King and Hero',” and Link started, surprised, “'both shall be judged, yet only one shall pass through victorious.'”

A chill went down his spine. What...what in the name of the Goddesses Three did _that_ mean? Link turned to stare at the door, suddenly wary of whatever lay beyond it. His left hand seemed to burn beneath his gauntlet, and he reached up to grasp the hilt of the Master Sword. He glanced back at the other man. “Why would a door in the mines say something like that?”

Ganon didn't answer. Instead he stood quiet, staring up at the warning writing in a language almost extinct. A million things seemed to pass through his eyes, flitting too quickly for Link to grasp or understand. And then he closed his eyes, took a slow, steady breath, and let it out. When he opened his eyes again, gold was blazing with determination and... _spite_ , a sharp grin overtaking his face.

“Come, Link,” he said, marching with shoulders thrown back straight up the stairs and towards the door. “We've a mine to clear, a key to make, and a Princess to save. I'm not letting some old words on a door spouting garbage like judgment frighten me away from my goals.”

Gold eyes glanced back at him, gleaming bright in the lava light of the cavern around them, and Link nodded. He drew his own sword, marching quickly up the steps to catch up to the king ahead of him. Each step burned his legs, muscles aching from the long trek through the mines and the climb up the mountain before that, but they were close. He could feel it.

Close to what, he didn't know.

They stood before the door a moment, both taking the short time to gather themselves. Ganon gave him a look. “Now would be a good time to swallow down that Piece of Heart,” he said.

Link shook his head. “I'm not going to be using it. Not yet.” He couldn't, not if he wanted to be able to make it out of there. “Sure you wouldn't rather have it yourself?”

Ganon scoffed, amused. “Maybe some other time,” he said. “If you're not planning on using it to face what's ahead, then why should I?”

And with that, the Gerudo reached out and heaved the door open with a single hand.

It groaned, loud and deep as it shifted upwards, dust drifting down over their heads and the smell of smoke and gunpowder stronger – much stronger – than before. The two of them stepped forward and over the threshold of the doorway into a large, dark cavern, giant stone pillars reaching from the floor to the ceiling high above them. Colossal engravings covered the expanse of the floor, each symbol larger than the two of them combined and glowing dimly with a soft, otherworldly blue light. In the middle looked to be a single dais; perhaps no larger than the pedestal Link had seen Mayor Bo use for the occasional speech for the village.

And it, along with the whole room, was empty.

Link glanced about, eyes adjusting slowly to the low light and trying to find something, anything, that indicated something or someone was there. He just...couldn't shake the feeling that something was about to happen. Something big. But what? “No one's here.” His voice, though no louder than a whisper, echoed in the chamber around them.

Ganon gave the chamber a slow look over, the red of his hair turned a deep indigo in the low, blue lighting. “Overseer Chamber... Looks more like some sort of temple or shrine, to me,” he said, voice quiet. After a moment he began making his way over to the dais, sword still clenched tight in one hand and footsteps carrying to every wall and back again. “What do you think this was for?”

“It _used_ to hold something quite precious, but it hasn't for a long time now.”

Link whirled around at the new voice, heart in his throat and eyes wildly looking for the source. It took a moment – too long – but eventually his eyes found a figure standing on the far side of the chamber from him. 'How – when did he get in here?' he thought frantically. He hadn't seen him at all. Hadn't heard him at all. How was that possible?

“Who are you?” he asked, tone sharp and sword raised. He didn't like this. Ganon was likewise holding his sword up, stance wide and eyes glued on the man.

The new person pushed off the wall at his back in a fluid motion and began walking closer, each step clicking loudly on the stone and slow with the easy sway of his gait. “Hm, you certainly are rude, aren't you, Hero?” he said, and now that he was closer Link could see the amused grin on his face. “And you haven't even introduced yourself.”

“Ah,” Ganon started, grin on his face but voice hard, “we weren't talking to you when you butted into our conversation. I would say you owe us your name, sir.”

The man laughed, a delight sound that bounced eagerly off the walls around them. “Oh, but aren't you just hilarious?” he said with a smile, still walking closer. His eyes gave Ganon a once over. “And to think, I already thought it hilarious enough that the Bearers of Power and Courage were _actually_ working together. This just takes the cake, though, doesn't it?”

Link's brow furrowed in confusion. What did that mean? “I won't ask again,” he said. “Who are you?”

The man snickered, shaking his head and shrugging helplessly. “Ah, well, what can I do but otherwise obey, I guess?” he said. His grin turned into a wild smirk, and with wave of his hand the chamber around them suddenly lit up with dozens of torches that lined the walls. Link's eyes widened, not only at the apparent display of magic but at finally being able to see the man in the light.

He...he looked _Hylian._

His skin was a deep tan and his hair was a lighter shade of blonde than even Link, who was considered one of the more fair-haired Hylians. His eyes slanted just so in the corners – a slant Link could see on his own face in the mirror and on any passing person in Castle Town – and shone a deep, sunset orange in the light of the cavern. The man wore nothing but a pair of tightly woven sandles on his feet, pants that had the legs strapped to his calves and belted high at his waist, and no shirt, which showcased the solid muscle the man carried on him and the intricate tattoo that covered the whole of his right arm from wrist to shoulder. And his ears...

Long and pointed.

Link couldn't help the freezing shock at the sight of the man, who met his eyes again and bowed deeply. Mockingly.

“My name is Oris, Hero,” the man – Oris – said, rising from his bow. “And let me just say, it is the highest honor to make your acquaintance! All of my people keep talking about you, you know.”

“Your...people?” Link managed to get out, swallowing thickly around the lump that was in his throat. Oris smiled at him, dangerous and all teeth.

“That cuts me deep, Hero, that you don't know who we are. Then again, we have been making it a little hard for you to figure it out, haven't we?” Oris' smile widened and didn't get the least bit friendlier. “That's alright, I forgive you.

“I believe you call us Dark Beings.”

Link stiffened.

He didn't have any time to think on what Oris had just said – a deep thoom shook the chamber, nearly knocking him off his feet and scattering dust all over the area. He snapped his head around, heart in his throat, and saw that they door the the Overseer Chamber had slammed back into place. And judging by the resounding crack that seemed to reverberate through the walls around them, it wasn't going to be opening again any time soon. His heart hammered hard and fast and blood rushed in his ears.

This was exactly like when he'd gone into the Forest Temple.

Link slowly turned back to face Oris, noticing that Ganon had starting taking steps backwards from the dais and closer to him. “What're you doing in the mines, Oris?” he asked, tightening his hand around the Master Sword and letting the sensation of his Piece burning on his hand ground him. This wasn't the time to panic. There was an enemy ahead of them, and no way out.

Yet.

Oris laughed again “Honestly, I was going to leave, Hero,” he said, shrugging. “While I really, really wanted to meet you, I did have something I wanted to get done first. But then you finished off most of my creations and, well. I couldn't let that slide, now could I?”

Creations? He couldn't mean... “Hollows?” Link rasped, horror curling around him. “You turned the Gorons into Hollows?”

Oris hummed, tapping a finger to his chin in thought. “Hm, you and all your annoying friends have been using that term, haven't you?” he asked. A bright smile lit up his face, yet he didn't look happy. He looked furious. “Dark Beings, Hollows... Well now, anything that isn't strictly _Hylian_ or approved by _Hylians_ just have the dullest, darkest names, don't they?

“Because _Hylians_ are just the brightest, purest of the bunch, _aren't they?_ They can't do anything wrong, _can they?_ ” He raised his right hand, fingers curling into a fist and the tattoos on his skin suddenly glowed. The air behind him began to shimmer, and both Link and Ganon tensed in growing alarm as they realized that something was appearing behind the Dark Being. “That just really, really, _really_...”

One.

Two...

Three.

“ _Pisses me off._ ”

Three Goron Hallows, each of them large and grey and nearly as big as the one that had taken a good portion of their Bomb Flower Oil, stepped into existence behind the Dark Being. None of them had any recognition in their eyes, just the glittering blackness of the Necromancy spell that held them. Oris let loose a howl of laughter, arching backwards and shaking with the force of his laughter.

“Well look at where you are now, Hero!” he shouted. “Locked away in a mine with little old, Dark Being me and my friends!” He swung back forward, orange eyes glinting wildly in the firelight. “My mission here has just been completed, and you know what? I'm going to let loose and have a little bit of fun! Hope you're ready for the fight of your Goddesses damned _life_ , because it's about to fucking _end!_ ”

_End Chapter Nine..._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ...I never said I wouldn't leave this on a cliffhanger.
> 
>  
> 
> Here's hoping things calm down in my life soon, because I really miss working on this fic. ;-;

**Author's Note:**

> Come scream at me on tumblr! crsinclair.tumblr.com
> 
> Note: First eight chapters were written literally years ago. Chapter nine is where I picked things up again.


End file.
